Drivers will be coming around the mountain this summer because it will be impossible to go over it.

The city of Montreal has decided it will close Camillien Houde Way to cars for the spring and summer of 2018 as a pilot project, meaning drivers from east and west will be able to get close to the summit -- but will not be able to drive all the way across.

Mayor Valerie Plante said the closure would be the first of many steps that will be taken to reduce car traffic in Montreal.

"It was important for us to send a strong signal that yes, we want to minimize, we want to reduce, all the traffic on the mountain. In the coming weeks and months we'll be proposing other measures," said Plante.

"I think this is good news to protect Mount Royal and to protect lives because we see that it's not easy for pedestrians and cyclists and as well car drivers. So we had to find a solution and I'm really glad that this morning we made one."

Drivers coming from the east will be able to drive to the Smith house, while those coming from the west will have to stop near Beaver Lake -- and there will not be any through traffic between the two parking lots.

While banning through traffic across the mountain would appear to affect buses, the STM said it would not have any effect on route 11 which transports passengers from Christophe Colomb and Rachel to Queen Mary and Gatineau.

"This pilot-project might even be beneficial for the bus service with a potential lesser traffic flow," said a spokesperson.

Last year Projet Montreal candidates promised to make roads safer, with Marianne Giguere saying "it should not be possible to cross from one side of  the city to the other."

The move comes after the death of a cyclist last year near the lookout. A driver leaving the lookout's parking lot made an illegal left-hand turn to head up the mountain, running into a teenaged cyclist.

The city of Montreal put up more signs in the weeks following the death of Clement Ouimet and extended a concrete barrier to make it harder for drivers to come out of the parking lot and turn left.