QUEBEC CITY -- Work on the first phase of the project to make the Highways 440 and 15 interchange in Laval safer and more accessible will begin on Tuesday.
The Quebec Ministry of Transport (MTW) announced the work after the tragic accident of Aug. 5, 2019.
On that day, four people lost their lives and a dozen others were injured in a nine-vehicle pile-up that included two heavy trucks, which occurred in the late afternoon on Highway 440 west.
The first phase involves adding an entrance south of the Highway 440 overpass from the Highway 15 northbound service roads. This phase is expected to limit backups and improve traffic flow in the area of the interchange.
The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) will oversee the new entrance construction, in order to link this work to the project for reserved lanes on Highway 15 to the north.
These two projects are expected to be completed next summer.
The second phase includes the construction of an overhead ramp leading directly from the 440 West express lanes to Highway 15 North, in addition to the redevelopment of the Industriel Blvd. exit.
The Quebec government has prioritized the entire project and is therefore benefiting from the acceleration measures provided for in the Act respecting the acceleration of certain infrastructure projects.
Approximately 305,000 vehicles travel daily through the interchange of Highways 440 and 15, a strategic axis located in the heart of Laval.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 11, 2021.
