Most of one of Montreal's major north-south highways will be closed this weekend as construction crews take a large step toward completing the St. Jacques Blvd. bridge.

"It's going to be a very difficult weekend on a weekend when everybody's coming back from holidays," said traffic analyst Rick Leckner.
"I think the concern, a legitimate one, is that a lot of people are going to get stuck on Sunday evening."

In May, two years after the St. Jacques bridge was torn down, crews installed the first piece of the new bridge over Highway 15.

This weekend crews will install a second piece, and over the next five months they will add supporting wires and pave the new roadway.

The closures of entrance ramps to Highway 15 South (Decarie Expressway) start at 8:30 p.m. Friday Aug. 3, while the rest of the closures will start at 10 p.m. Friday. The work will continue until 5 a.m. Monday Aug. 6.

Meanwhile the northbound Decarie Expressway will not be accessible between the Turcot Interchange until the Edouard Montpetit entrance.

Among the closures are the following:

  • Closure of the, Highway 40 west, Royalmount Ave., Jean-Talon, Cote-St-Luc Rd. and Girouard entrances to Highway 15 South from 8:30 p.m. on Friday to 5:00 a.m. on Monday.
  • Closure of the ramps from Highway 15 South to Route 136 East, to Highway 20 West, and to the Champlain Bridge from Highway 40 from 9:00 p.m. on Friday to 5:00 a.m. on Monday.
  • Complete closure of Highway 15 South between the Sherbrooke St. exit and the entrance from Highway 20 East, from 10:00 p.m. on Friday to 5:00 a.m. on Monday.
  • Highway 15 North between Exit 63 (De la Verendrye) and the Edouard-Montpetit entrance from 10:00 p.m. Friday to 5:00 a.m. Monday.
  • Route 136 West to Highway 15 North will be closed

Transport Quebec is warning that all driving in the area will be difficult, and it anticipates lengthy delays along its suggested detour of Highway 13.