MONTREAL -- No matter where you go on the city of Hudson's main drag, there is noise.
The town to the west of the Island of Montreal is revamping the core of its Main Street and almost everyone agrees it's badly needed work for years.
In a recent CAA Quebec poll, drivers chose the road as the fourth worst in the province.
"The Main Street project had to be done. It had to be completed," said Hudson Hospitality Association President Andrew Dumas. "The 'but' is that the timing couldn’t be worse in my opinion."
Dumas runs a Casse Croute on the street serving french fries and toasties to Hudsonites. The roadwork is happening right in front of his diner, which he bought three months before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
He said he was open about a week before his business was steamrolled by construction.
"Obviously, the businesses on Main Street are suffering," he said. "I don’t have the numbers for everyone, but my business is down about 20 per cent for my summer."
Part of the work entails putting a sidewalk on both sides of the road, making it safer for pedestrians.
Residents, however, say the detours are difficult to navigate.
"Every day it changes," said one resident. "One day you’ll go this way, and then it changes, or even in the same day. And it’s a different route you have to take and there’s no way of knowing what you’re going to get."
Mayor Jamie Nicholls understands the frustration.
"I experienced those details as well," he said. "Yeah, there is a little bit of frustration."
Nicholls said Hudson is trying to work with businesses.
"We provided a weekly update to local businesses so they’d know where the construction was," he said. "We provided a 25 per cent relief in local taxation of commercial properties."
Though it's inconvenient, the city is doing the work now to avoid affecting the school year.
"There’s never a good time for a construction project," said Nicholls.
The mayor said the work is slated to be finished next week in advance of the Hudson Day outdoor festival on Sept. 4.
