Elevated Bonaventure Expressway to become “Champs Elysees”
August 20, 2015
By
CCE
In Montreal, sections of the elevated Place Bonaventure expressway are being dismantled to be replaced by a nine-lane urban boulevard.
The $141-million redevelopment is being promoted as part of a new gateway to the city, with the boulevard being likened to Montreal’s Champs Elysees. The work is due to be completed for the city’s 375th anniversary in 2017. The boulevard includes dedicated heavily-travelled bus lanes.
The expressway is a prominent part of the urban landscape and was constructed in 1966 as part of the Expo ’67 preparations. It leads from the Champlain Bridge and Autoroute 10 into the city from the east. Some sections are owned by the city of Montreal and others by the federal government.
The first section of the expressway to be demolished is from the Lachine Canal area over de la Commune, to Duke and Wellington, where a new exit ramp will take motorists down to the boulevard. The ramp is due to open in November.
In an article in Daily Commercial News, Pierre Sainte-Marie of the City of Montreal, said of the planning and design: “There were lots of challenges,” citing the proximity of a CN viaduct and rail line, as well as offices and a residential complex.
Meanwhile refurbishments to another 1960s-era elevated expressway, the Gardiner in Toronto, have begun their second phase. The city is debating whether to continue repairing the eastern section, or replace it with an at grade boulevard, similar to that in Montreal.
On August 20 a construction worker fell 10 metres from the expressway but was expected to survive.
To read an article in Daily Commercial News, click here.
To read an article in the Montreal Gazette, click here.
