Residents of southwestern Montreal, some of whom face expropriation because of the massive Turcot overhaul, say public hearings into the mega-project are nothing but a rubber stamp.
The residents and activists were upset that officials turned down their request for more time to prepare for a second round of public consultations that got underway on Monday evening.
Many people who attended the meeting on St. Henri said the government has already made up its mind about the project.
"Are people really being heard?" asked Ken McLaughlin, who lives in St. Henri.
"Is it just 'here's your thing, we file it and that's the end of the story and we go do what we want to do?' "
Homes to be razed
Some 160 homes will be bulldozed to make way for the new, ground-level expressway.
The seven-year project, which gets underway this year, is projected to cost $1.5 billion.
People who live in the area say the project will have serious environmental repercussions and that tearing down buildings will undermine the area's charm.
St. Henri resident Jody Negley told CTV News that the overhaul will be a "nightmare" for people who live near the structure.
"We wanted the average person ... that is going to be expropriated or who's going to have to live in a construction zone for seven years, the time to understand those impacts," she said.
