Bonaventure Expressway to get $282M revamp into urban boulevard

Ottawa announced a new project to reconfigure the Bonaventure expressway, which was first built in 1966 and is nearing the end of its lifespan.

As a gateway to the City of Montreal, the highway is well-used and, in the words of federal transport minister Pablo Rodriguez, "it's ugly....it's from another era."

The piece of roadway is about to get a $282-million facelift.

The federal project will reconfigure the expressway into an urban boulevard that will change its appearance and purpose.

"It's not a highway anymore; it's a boulevard, so it's an urban configuration where pedestrians can cross the boulevard at some spaces," said Sandra Martel, the CEO of the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.

Speed limits will drop from 70 to 50 km/h, and traffic lights will be added to connect people to a new green corridor and a 2.5-kilometre-long multipurpose pathway.

Traffic lanes will be moved away from the shoreline, eliminating Carrie Derick Street. Construction is expected to start in 2025 and will only affect the non-elevated portion of the Bonaventure.

With 20 million vehicles using the existing autoroute each year, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says the city is already considering ways to manage congestion.

"In this case, having the REM is a big; it's already there. For sure, we will look at what needs to be put in place during the work, so there's still options," she said.

Traffic specialist Rick Leckner says the traffic pain will be worth it in the long run.

"There's a lot of benefits to this, not least of which environmental, because that roadway was so close to the St. Lawrence River, creating quite a bit of pollution," Leckner said. "From what I see in the designs, it's quite attractive and it will allow for pedestrians, it will allow mobility through the area."