A confusing and unexplained blockade on Decarie Boulevard, near Jean-Talon Street, has sparked chaos in the heart of Montreal’s bustling traffic scene. This specific obstruction, placed inexplicably in one of the city’s most inconvenient spots, has been causing disruptions, making it stand out even in a city famous for its abundance of orange cones and ongoing roadworks.
Alarmingly, this enigma persists without any workers present on the site. As of last Friday, it was observed that a section of the sidewalk had been dug up, but since then, there have been no signs of further construction activities. Still, the row of orange cones continue to hold sway over an entire lane, creating significant congestion along the northbound route of Decarie Blvd, a typically busy area.
Sonny Moroz, the City Councillor for Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, has seemingly hit a roadblock in his attempts to unravel this mystery. Despite reaching out to those in charge at his borough, the central city, and even Quebec’s Transport Ministry, he has been left without answers.
“The new year was anticipated to have reduced traffic and construction sites across Montreal,” Moroz noted. Despite assurances in the spring that the worst was behind them, he emphasized the irony of being informed about a lane blockade at this heavily traversed intersection on one of the first days of the fall traffic schedule. Even more astonishing is the fact that this has occurred with no actual construction work being apparent.
The CDN-NDG borough, reached for comment, indicated that the work was being managed by the central city. However, queries to the City of Montreal itself remain unanswered.
This incident has spotlighted the 2022 admonition from the city’s auditor general, who criticized Montreal for its poor planning and coordination of roadworks, even suggesting the establishment of a public registry for completed work. Unfortunately, Moroz reported that this is yet to occur.
Despite the city’s claim of an up-to-date road work map available on its Mobility Montreal website, this does not include the alleged project on Decarie.
Rick Leckner, a traffic analyst, voiced the barely concealed frustration felt by motorists in the area. He recognized the roadworks as “out of control” and even a public safety concern. Not only is this creating a problem for the local borough, but it is also causing a ripple effect in its neighbours.
“It’s a woeful scenario where suffering motorists are increasingly resorting to dangerous driving due to impatience and frustration,” Leckner noted. “We have aggression, risk-taking, and an overall unsafe environment, with no indications that this crisis will ease soon.”
