MONTREAL - As the weather warms, one of the largest construction seasons in Quebec's history is set to get underway with $3.4 billion in roadwork scheduled for the summer. Road closures are expected to start Wednesday morning.
Several lane closures will hit the Turcot Interchange, as construction crews continue to reinforce the sprawling tangle of concrete before it is torn down and replaced over the next six years.
One lane of the ramp connecting the 20 East with the 720 East will be closed until November. Meanwhile, just like last year, one lane of the 720 West to 15 North ramp will close on Friday, and is expected to remain closed until September.
These closures will be compounded with the closure of the St. Jacques St. exit and existing lane closures on Highway15.
Transport Quebec has warned that 2012 will see an "unprecedented number" of closures as part of the plan to demolish and rebuild the Turcot complex by 2018.
"We suggest that drivers use the reserved lane that we have on the 20 Highway and we can suggest that commuters use public transportation," said Isabelle Monette, a spokeswoman for Transport Quebec.
Four new express bus lanes, funded completely by Transport Quebec, were unveiled on March 23 to help mitigate the expected gridlock.
Mercier construction this weekend
Transport Quebec announced Wednesday afternoon that southbound lanes of the Mercier Bridge would be closed this coming weekend.
The older half of the bridge will be undergoing substantial structural work from 10 p.m. Friday April 13 to 5 a.m. Monday April 16.
Traffic will be diverted to the other span, and one lane will be open in each direction during the construction.
