The mayoral candidate for opposition party Coalition Montreal is calling for a moratorium on the roadwork scheduled to start this November on Ste Catherine Street downtown.
The first phase of the four year project will target the section between Bleury and Mansfield and last until around April. But Jean Fortier said he believes the work is premature and not urgent.
"Until such time as the larger development with Turcot Yard and everything, I think we should put a moratorium on that and we look carefully as to the impact and return on investment that we have of doing it rapidly," Fortier told CJAD 800 News.
"For the time being, we say to the merchants, let's see carefully if it's really needed, what is needed and if the remedy is not a poison in itself."
Fortier has chosen to run in the downtown Peter McGill district, the heart of the city's business sector.
Fortier's running mate is journalist John Symon. The co-founder of a group fighting the proposed light rail project was a previous candidate for the Green Party of Quebec and Projet Montreal.
Fortier's main opponents will be incumbent city councillor Steve Shanahan of Vrai Changement pour Montreal, Projet Montreal's Jabiz Sharifan and Cathy Wong of Équipe Denis Coderre for Montreal.