Montreal-area drivers face major closures this long holiday weekend

It's Labour Day weekend, but that doesn't mean construction workers will get a break from their jobs.

Roadwork will continue, and some major highway ramps an interchanges will be closed from Friday evening until Tuesday 5 a.m..

Drivers will need to arm themselves with lots of patience, especially if they're commuting through the Turcot Interchange, on the Bonaventure Expressway or driving along the Champlain Bridge.

The Transport Ministry says long weekends are perfect for doing major work, because fewer people are on the roads.

"The long weekend,with the Monday off,gives thepossibility to do thekind of work that takes more time to get done. So we use long weekends to do sometimes very major work," said Transports Qubec spokesperson Martin Girard.

Highway 15 North

The 15 Northbound between Nuns' Island and the Turcot Interchange is a major hot spot to avoid this long weekend.

It will be closed from Exit 58, on Nuns' Island, to the entrance ramp at Gatan-Laberge Boulevardon the island of Montreal until Tuesday morning.

Part of the 15 North will continue to be closed on the island of Montreal too. The northbound highway will be closed starting in the Southwest borough at Exit 62 (De La Vrendrye Boulevard) all the way to the douard-Montpetit entrance ramp on the Dcarie Expressway.

Beyond that, the highway's entrance and exit ramps at Atwater will be closed as of Tuesday night Sept. 4until the end of October.

New configuration starts after Labour Day

After the holiday, Tuesday's morning commute could also get tricky thanks to a new road configuration. Transports Qubec asks that drivers on the 15 North pay attention to the new signage that will be in place around the Lachine Canal sector.

The Turcot Interchange

In the Turcot Interchange, the 15 North ramp for Highway 20 West is closed all weekend. So is the Highway 20 West ramp for the 15 North.

On the Ville-Marie Expressway, the 136 West ramp for the 15 North is also shut down.

The Bonaventure Expressway

Until Tuesday at 5 a.m., an exit ramp will be closed on the Bonaventure Expressway (Highway 10 West). Exit 2 (Pierre-Dupuy Ave. / Ch. des Moulins / Port de Montral) will be off-limits.

The express lane, toward downtown Montreal, will also be inaccessible.

Highway 20

A portion of Highway 20 West will have reduced lanes. Two lanes will be available between the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Boulevardtemporary entrance ramp until the Ville-Saint-Pierre Interchange.

You will also not be able to take Exit 63 toward the Mercier Bridge; it will be closed.

Highway 13

The interchange at Highways 13 and 40 is also under construction. That road work will shut down the 13 North, between Exit 6 (Highway 40) and the entrance ramp for Highway 40 East.

CheminSaint-Franois, which is a street near Highway 13 in the borough of Saint-Laurent, will also be closed.

Meanwhile, Highway 40 East will have reduced lanes, and also only one lane available on the service road, at the height of Highway 13.

More street closures in the Southwest

There will be several closures in the Southwest borough as well, including:

• Notre-Dame Street westbound, between Monk Boulevardand Cte-Saint-Paul Road.
• De La Vrendrye eastbound, between Galt Street and de l'Eglise Avenue.