St. Paul St. is getting a facelift.
The city, along with the provincial ministry of culture, has announced a partnership to invest $35 million to revamp the area.
The oldest commercial street in Montreal, as well as one of the busiest tourist areas, for years complaints have piled up about the potholes and the rundown condition of some of the buildings surrounding it.
In total, 1.3 kilometres of the street and the facades of some of the buildings will be repaired.
The city will also upgrade the underground infrastructure, including the sewer and water lines that date back to the 19th century, as well as improve lighting.
The work will take place in three phases, starting with the stretch of St. Paul from Berri St. to Place Jacques Cartier.
The historic character of the area will be maintained, but much of the work will be to replace the damaged cobblestone, as well as place a granite barrier between the road and sidewalks.
The sidewalks will be expanded significantly in order to increase pedestrian traffic and help local businesses.
The road will be shared with cars and bikes, although at a reduced rate.
There is some bad news for drivers: as a result of the work, 142 parking spaces along that stretch will be lost.
The work will take place until 2018, although there will be a hiatus in 2017 so as not to disturb the 375th anniversary festivities with that other iconic Montreal fixture - construction cones.
