Turcot Interchange gong show set to begin Monday

If you thought heading east along the Turcot Interchange was hard, heading west is about to get a whole lot harder as of Dec. 11.

Most westbound entrances in downtown Montreal are set to close, while others will be reconfigured, as the westbound lanes of the old interchange are dismantled.

• Turcot Interchange work on schedule, but drivers face peak traffic diversions

Traffic will be moved to a road next to the highway, with two lanes open to drivers.

Though most road closure notices from Quebec's Transport Ministry mention the day and time that a road will reopen, thisnotice states the closure will last yes, you are reading it correctly for a year.

A number of entrances willbe closed until 2019, including the ramps from Lucien L'AllierStreet, Du Fort Street and Monk Boulevard inCte-Saint-Paul.

• Stretch of Highway 15 reopens after mishap in Turcot Interchange

A temporary entrance will be opened at Rose-de-Lima Street, accessible fromSt-Antoine Street West.

Transports Qubec says a number of changes will be made to try and alleviate the headache for drivers.

Some intersections will be modified to deal with the increase in traffic, and police will be present at the beginning of the changes.

"Expect a major impact on traffic," the ministry's website notes, adding that drivers should be extra vigilant when looking at orange road signs during the roadwork.

More closures coming on weekends

If you think it may be easier getting around on weekends think again.

Between now and next spring, the westbound Ville-MarieExpressway will be closed completely almost every weekend as the old highway is demolished.

The majority of the closures involve restricting access to the replacement roads of Highway 720 in both directions.

That means that if you want to head west from downtown, you'll have to take local roads, at least for the first part of your trip.

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

The second phase of constructionwill take place between summer 2018 and fall 2018. Closures for that portion have not yet been set.