Extension of Laval's Highway 19 coming at last, province says

The long-awaited extension of Highway 19 through Laval will finally become a reality, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard has promised.

The extension will connect Highway 19 from the 440 in Laval to the 640 in Bois-des-Filion.

Couillard and Transport Minister André Fortin announced details of the project this afternoon in Laval's Vimont district.

The new stretch of road will feature six lanes, three in each direction. One lane each way will be reserved for carpoolers, buses and electric cars.

Couillard said it's high time this happened because it's a route with 55,000 vehicles on it every morning and night.

"We have a few years of work ahead of us," the premier said.

Construction is set to start in 2020 and will be complete by 2025, and the estimated cost is between $500 million and $600 million, he said.

40-year fight

Municipal governments in Laval and further north have been pushing for this extension for 40 years. Previous provincial governments, as well, have committed to the project but never followed through.

Laval Mayor Marc Demers has said the extension would decrease congestion and help with economic development. It would also help reduce traffic on other congested highways, such as Highway 15, he said.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said in March that the city favoured an urban boulevard, instead of an extension to Highway 19.

Announced in budget

Couillard's Liberal government set aside cash for the project in the election-year budget, tabled last month.

The budget includes a raft of new investments in public transit, infrastructure projects and economic development, including $6.3 billion towards the light-rail train system (REM) set to be constructed in Montreal.

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The budget also includes plans to refurbish the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel and to extend Highway 35 from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to the U.S. border.