Saint-Urbain Street to close for a month as of Jan. 14

The Ville-Marie Expressway. (Caroline Durocher/Ville de Montreal)

The Transport Ministry is completely closing St-Urbain Street between René-Lévesque Boulevard Ouest and Viger Avenue Ouest, between Jan. 14 and Feb. 12.

“The closure is necessary to relocate utility pipes as part of the reconstruction of the overpass on Saint-Urbain Street over Route 136,” the ministry said in a news release.

This work is part of the major refurbishment of the Ville-Marie and Viger tunnels.

The closure will come into effect at 9 p.m. on the Jan. 14 and lifted at 5 a.m. on Feb. 12.

Local traffic will be allowed and access to businesses will be maintained for the duration of the obstruction, though parking will be prohibited near the worksite. The bike path and sidewalks will remain accessible.

The ministry is proposing detours via Bleury Street westbound and Berri Street eastbound as alternatives.

The $2 billion refurbishment of the Ville-Marie and Viger tunnels has been causing headaches for motorists since it began in 2020, but the province says the work is necessary to ensure infrastructure safety for the next 40 years without further major work.

It involves repairing the tunnel structure, overpasses, walls and pavement; modernizing the electrical, lighting, ventilation and drainage systems; improving water and sewer management; overhauling fire protection, surveillance and telecommunications systems; and renovating ventilation towers.

According to the ministry, the work is scheduled to end in 2030.