MONTREAL - People who live near the construction site for the MUHC super hospital at the Glen Yards have had constant dirt and noise become a part of their daily lives.
So far work has only been taking place during the day, but that's about to change.
The train overpass near the intersection of Decarie and de Maisonneuve Blvds. needs to be rebuilt and extended, but before that can take place a temporary railway detour needs to be built.
Construction on the replacement bridge begins Monday July 18.
"Before we re-construct the railway bridge, we have to build a deviation - a sort of a bypass - so the train, the commuter train could go on this bypass," said Alain Trudeau, project manager with the city of Montreal. "When this will be built, we will start the demolition of the existing bridge."
Because of train schedules work can only take place at night.
"We have to finish around 5 o'clock because around 6 o'clock we have the first train coming into Montreal," said Trudeau.
That overnight work means residents who are reaching the limits of their patience will need to increase their tolerance level even more.
"People on Decarie don't get much sleep," said resident Fabienne Isore. "I mean, it's a miracle if you can get your seven hours of sleep. It's really incredible."
This phase of the massive project will also see Decarie Blvd. widened from three to five lanes in order to improve access to the hospital, and the roadway will be lowered by 1 metre in order to increase clearance under the permanent train overpass.
The rail line is a vital route in the AMT's commuter rail service, with 85 trains carrying 33,000 commuters every day. However, in order to respect CP Rail's schedules, the work will need to be done between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., meaning more sleepless nights for area residents.
"I cannot sleep, my kids cannot sleep, everything (in my house) is moving," said Hanna Banasic, who says her house feels as if there's a constant earthquake going on.
This new phase of the project is adding fuel to an already flammable situation in the area, but some residents remain hopeful.
"We hope that they'll be done by Christmas," Isore said. "I really hope so. I would like to sleep for Christmas."
The phase is scheduled to be complete by November, so there is some hope Isore's dream of a rested Christmas will be realized.
Sewer work should be completed soon
The much-delayed construction work on the new sewer system for the MUHC hospital campus is almost completed.
The work, originally scheduled to finish at the end of June, was delayed because of heavy rain in the spring.
Now the plumbing job is almost finished, and once the roadway is paved in two to three weeks the St. Jacques exit from the Westbound Ville Marie Expressway will be able to open.
