One week after a deadly highway crash in Laval the province is moving ahead with temporary safety measures.
Transportation Minister Francois Bonnardel confirmed Thursday that provincial police have increased their patrols along Highway 440 and Highway 15.
"We asked the Sureté du Quebec to have more presence in the next week to assure that everybody knows the situation and reduce their speed and to not cross the single line," said Bonnardel.
Bonnardel said that one of his first suggestions, repainting lanes to extend the no-merge zone near the interchange, will be done in the next few days, while photo radar "will be installed in 30 to 45 days."
In addition highway crews will add new signage near the interchange in a bid to get drivers to slow down.
Bonnardel said the suggestions come from a Transportation Ministry advisory panel, even though a previous group had rejected the idea of extending the no-merge lanes a decade ago.
"It's part of some other measures. It will not assure 100 percent the security of all automobile users. But I'm telling them to respect the Quebec Highway Safety Code," said Bonnardel.
He said the Ministry would evaluate traffic flows in the coming months to see if the new measures are effective, and that permanent changes to the interchange would likely be announced in September.
On Aug. 5 multiple 18-wheelers and cars collided in a fiery crash that killed four people and injured several others.
The Sureté du Quebec is reportedly investigating a video that shows one of the truck drivers did not have his hands on the wheel at the time of the crash.
