Turcot Interchange drivers: Get ready for 2-year closures starting tonight

Normally, closure advisories from the Quebec transport ministry mention the day and time that a road will reopen.

But Transports Québec's latest one mentions the year instead.

Some ramps in the Turcot Interchange will shut down as of tonight and won't reopen until 2019.

They are:

• The ramp of the Turcot Interchange from the 720 West to the 15 South. Closure starts Friday, Nov. 17 at 10:30 p.m.
• The De La Vérendrye Blvd. entrance ramp for the 15 South. Closure takes effect Friday, Nov. 17 at 11:59 p.m.

Meanwhile, on the 15 North, the ramp to access the 20 West will be closed until December.

"It's going to be a nightmare, a readjustment for drivers and a mess," said CBC Montreal Homerun's traffic reporter Jeremy Zafran.

Drivers on the 720 West who are trying to head to the Champlain Bridge will continue along the 20 West, get off at the Angrignon exit and then loop around onto the 20 East in order to catch the southbound 15.

• Multiple ramp closures, route reconfigurations announced as Turcot work intensifies
• Use public transit or prepare to sit in traffic this coming year, province warns

"This will increase the flow of traffic on the 20 East," Zafran said, adding that area is already congested due to recent lane reconfigurations.

Weekend closures

But, don't try that detour this weekend because there will be additional closures there until Monday morning.

They include:

• Complete closure of the 15 South between the Turcot Interchange and the Gaétan-Laberge Blvd. entrance (from Friday at 11:59 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m.)
• Closure of the ramp leading from the 20 East to the 15 South (from Friday at 10:30 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m.)
• Partial closure (1 lane open) of the 15 North between Exit 61 (St-Patrick St. / Atwater Ave.) and the Turcot Interchange (from Friday at 10 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m.)
• Closure of Exit 2 (Atwater Street of Route 136 East from Friday at 11:59 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m.)

The work is part of the dismantling of the Turcot Interchange, which is 50 years old. About 300,000 vehicles travel on it every day.

The new one is expected to be completed by the fall of 2020.

Santa Claus Parade

If you're heading downtown, there is also the annual Santa Claus Parade starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

That means it's best to avoid Ste-Catherine Street between Fort Street and Place des Festivals, which will be off limits to traffic.

The festivities are expected to last approximately two hours.