The City of Westmount is going the legal route in its attempts to stop construction of the new Ville-Marie Expressway, saying Quebec's Transport Ministry broke the rules and will cause many sleepless nights for its residents.
"Westmount finds it unfortunate that it has to resort to the legal process to settle a dispute considering that both its activities and those of the MTQ are financed by public funds" the city said in a statement. "However, the goal of the City of Westmount is to improve the quality of life of its citizens and to ensure their health and safety."
The problem dates back to 2015, when Westmount says the MTQ changed "unilaterally, without any consultation with the City of Westmount and in contravention of the Government of Quebec's Order in Council 890-2010, the design of Highway 136 heading west."
When Highway 136 was approved in 2010 the plan was to lower the roadway by nearly 50 per cent of the planned length. Westmount said had it been respected its residents would have benefited from a decrease in sound levels between 7 to 15 dBA.
Now Westmount says once the new Highway is complete noise levels will exceed 65 dBA in several locations, with the possibility of reaching more than 70 dBA.
"According to the MTQ's own publications, a sound level that exceeds 55 dBA can hinder and disrupt the quality of life of those who live near the place where the noise emanates. A sound environment that exceeds 65 dBA can cause severe disruption, sleep-related difficulties, increased blood pressure, increased fatigue, depression, reduced performance, and degradation in quality and performance, especially for older people and children learning."
Westmount is asking Quebec Superior Court to suspend the work on the Highway and to ensure the MTQ complies with Order in Council 890-2010 and builds a structure that would comply with the Environment Quality Act.