If you plan on heading into Montreal for the St. Patrick's Day parade this Sunday or other business this weekend, be prepared for a lot of road closures and detours around the Turcot Interchange and the Champlain Bridge.
Work is being done at the same time at both construction sites so there'll be more closures than usual this weekend.
They include:
The closures begin late Friday night and last until Monday morning at 5 a.m.
Transport officials say they usually coordinate things so the work and the closures don't happen at the same time but it was unavoidable this weekend and that they have to be done so they can stay on schedule and meet their deadlines.
Transport Quebec, the Champlain Bridge consortium and the city of Montreal decided to hold a joint briefing this morning because of the extra traffic expected for the parade this Sunday.
The STM is promising extra metros and buses. No word yet from the RTM about increased commuter train service.
The city of Montreal said while the parade begins at noon and ends at around 3 p.m., street closures will start at 7 a.m. and end at around 5 p.m. along and around the parade route which runs on de Maisonneuve this year from City Councillors heading west to Mackay and then turning down to René-Lévesque. Street closures will happen between St. Marc and Jeanne Mance.