Montréal is responsible for only 25 per cent of the construction sites within city limits. Making sure traffic keeps moving is a responsibility that we share with public organizations, companies and private developers in charge of construction sites across Montréal.

Due to the large number of work sites and a constant increase of vehicle traffic, keeping traffic running smoothly is a huge challenge that we handle in several steps.

Step 1: Developing plans to maintain traffic flow

We develop a traffic flow plan for all work sites that impact mobility. They help us:

• Ensure the mobility of people, goods and emergency vehicles in the zones where construction is taking place and the surrounding areas.
• Make sure that road users and construction workers stay safe while the work is being done.
• Make sure that homes, businesses, companies and institutions remain accessible.

To develop these plans, engineers and technical agents consider work that the city and other private and public developers have planned. If there are several work sites in the same area, we coordinate with other developers to make sure that these work sites don’t disrupt traffic maintenance plans.

Our teams also assess the type of work being done and the surroundings of the work site. They develop scenario, suggest detours and plan mitigation measures to reduce the negative effects of the work site on the population.

Mitigation measures can take different forms:

• Adjusting traffic lights
• Changing parking rules
• Stationing police at intersections

Step 2: Communicating with all affected parties

All information is communicated in advance to road users, people who live or work in the construction zones as well as our partners, such as police, fire and emergency services and the STM. Real-time updates also help people plan their travels and activities while work is ongoing.

Communication methods include:

• Construction notices
• Signage on the construction site
• Navigation assistance apps like Waze or Google
• The city’s Web site

Did you know?

While work is being performed, our teams keep a close eye on everything. This helps us make sure the plan for keeping traffic fluid is working properly.