How to survive Turcot closures on Remembrance Day weekend
Transports Québec offers series of mitigation measures such as free train tickets
Drivers heading to and from Montreal's West Island will have a Remembrance Day weekend they won't soon forget as the Turcot Interchange will be closed in three directions over a five-day period.
In effect from from Nov. 9 to 13, the "unprecedented road closures" will kick off on a Thursday evening and run until the following Tuesday morning — closing Highway 20 in both the east and west directions, according to Transports Québec.
Highway 15 northbound will be closed on Friday evening, Nov. 10, till the following Monday morning.
These road closures are necessary to dismantle an above-ground section of the old Highway 15 that spans the new Highway 20 and Canadian National's main rail corridor.
The ministry describes the demolition as a "complex operation."
It encourages road users to consider other modes of transportation during that time.
Detours will be suggested in the days leading up to the closures, according to Transports Québec spokesperson Gilles Payer.
The Montreal mobility committee, comprised of 21 organizations and government bodies, meets every Wednesday to discuss weekend closures.
It is then that the detours are decided, he said, and the complete detour plan should be released on Thursday, Nov. 8.
Payer encouraged drivers to check Quebec 511 for suggested detours or chart out their own routes.
There is also a Turcot Interchange informational website, but users should be aware that the English version has fewer details than the French site.
MTQ offers public transit solutions
The ministry is also advising people to use public transit, work from home and avoid non-essential trips.
Among the mitigation measures, the ministry is offering free rides on the Exo1 Vaudreuil-Hudson and Exo4 Candiac trains.
The Exo1 Vaudreuil-Hudson train line will have an additional 14 off-peak departures, with stops at Dorval, Vendôme and Lucien-L'Allier stations only.
There will also be a free shuttle bus between the Châteauguay terminus and Sainte-Catherine train station (Exo4 Candiac line) during rush hour.
For travellers who use the Haut-Saint-Laurent bus system, bus line 1, which normally ends at the Mansfield terminus downtown, will instead go to the Angrignon Metro station.
The same measure will be in place for those who take bus 28 from Châteauguay.
Commuters in both sectors will be offered free Metro tickets.
Employers will also be able to apply for free transit tickets, valid on Nov. 9 and 12. The tickets will allow users two passages on the train, Metro and bus networks in the Montreal area. Employers have until Nov. 2 to apply for the free tickets.
Trucks with three or more axles will have restricted access of the Highway 20 in both directions on Nov. 9 and 12.
They will be prohibited from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on those days.