Skip to main content

Montreal boost infrastructure spending for 2016

The Canadian city of Montreal will invest a record US$408 million on infrastructure improvements this year, around half to spent on road upgrades and the other half on water projects. One of the city’s executive committee members, Lionel Perez, said much is being done to mitigate problems for drivers and cyclists during prolonged construction periods, according to a report in the Montreal Gazette newspaper. Perez said drivers on rue St-Denis, a main shopping street, can now use bluetooth technology to
April 8, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The Canadian city of Montreal will invest a record US$408 million on infrastructure improvements this year, around half to spent on road upgrades and the other half on water projects.

One of the city’s executive committee members, Lionel Perez, said much is being done to mitigate problems for drivers and cyclists during prolonged construction periods, according to a report in the Montreal Gazette newspaper.

Perez said drivers on rue St-Denis, a main shopping street, can now use bluetooth technology to monitor traffic in real time because it communicates information to drivers by notification on message boards.

Cyclists and pedestrians have long complained that the city does not do enough to ensure their safety around construction zones, according to Daniel Lambert, a spokesperson for the Montreal Bike Coalition and Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists of Westmount.

However, he said Montreal is improving its track record. The city is looking at requiring contractors to erect temporary concrete barriers to ensure pedestrians are not forced to walk into traffic when sidewalks are closed for maintenance.

Related Content

  • Scotland’s new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth Estuary
    December 23, 2015
    The new Queensferry Crossing under construction in Scotland will be the third landmark bridge spanning the Forth Estuary - Mike Woof writes When the new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth Estuary opens at the end of 2016, it will be the third landmark bridge to be built spanning this short stretch of water. Lying alongside the existing road bridge and the historic rail bridge, this new structure will be as groundbreaking as the two earlier crossings were at the time of their construction.
  • Traffic control to beat congestion
    November 6, 2012
    Max Lay discusses how congestion has posed problems throughout history from early civilisation to the present day One of the earliest known human settlements was at the Springs of Elisha at Jericho. Inevitably, locals collecting fresh water from the springs would encounter other water carriers. When a path was too narrow, or access to it was too limited, or it crossed another path, some carriers would find it necessary to stand aside for others. Priority in such cases might be based on common courtesy and p
  • Alberta halts PPP contract use after a major projects review
    May 9, 2016
    The Canadian province of Alberta has put a halt to further public-private partnership projects pending a provincial government cabinet decision on their use. Alberta infrastructure minister Brian Mason said the New Democratic Party government isn’t declaring a moratorium on P3s. However, he said that he plans to stick to the traditional methods of funding as he launches a five-year US$27 billion capital construction programme. The Calgary Sun newspaper quoted Mason saying “there are real questions abo
  • Workszone design and planning software
    March 6, 2012
    Managing utility works effectively is important, given that digging up roads and then patching them can dramatically cut the life of a road surface. New software tools make this process easier to manage effectively and Bentley Systems is extending its Expert Designer V8i package to include water, gas, and communications infrastructure, in addition to electric utilities. This allows utility firms and engineering contractors using Expert Designer V8i to boost the efficiency of utility network design projects.