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When car was king in the post-war world, downtown expressways were not only crucial transportation arteries in cities all over, they were generally also indicative of a strong middle class. This is especially true in numerous North American municipalities, where elevated downtown highways continue to link the core with the sprawling outer regions. But despite car ownership remaining high, cities like Portland and Boston have embarked on megaprojects that have removed these corridors and replaced them with parks, mixed land uses, and less intrusive roadways.
Now it's Montreal's turn. Canada's second largest city has had a rough time maintaining its elevated expressways; harsh winters and ageing infrastructure are taking a toll on Montreal's capacity to provide a safe and reliable commute for residents. In a time where planning principles — such as increased investment in alternate modes of transportation and efficient use of land — are becoming more mainstream, the time is ripe for a reinvention of the city's Bonaventure Expressway.
Mayor Jean Drapeau built the elevated highway in 1966 — one year before Expo 67 — to connect the Champlain Bridge with the downtown core. While the federal government owns the stretch of road from the bridge to Lachine Canal, the city owns the section between the canal and the core. This is the span that the current mayor, Denis Coderre, has targeted for demolition. Despite the break in the urban landscape, development around the highway has persisted. The plan to replace the city-owned portion with a grand boulevard, which would act as a renewed entryway into Montreal, will certainly attract even more mixed-use development.
Two boulevards anchored by a strip of green space in the middle will be completed by next year, in time for Montreal's 375th birthday. The tree-laden linear park will host multiple seating areas, flowers, and pedestrian pathways that link the historic neighbourhoods of Griffintown and Old Montreal with the city centre. At Wellington, between the adjacent Duke and Nazareth Streets, a 10-metre-tall public art installation by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa will loom over the action. Duke and Nazareth will also receive an abundance of trees and wider sidewalks to provide a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape. Montreal's extensive cycle path network will get a boost as well, with east-west lanes on Ottawa and William Streets, plus a connection to the Lachine Canal bike path in the works.
The $142 million CAD project essentially began on July 1, when the elevated Bonaventure was closed to traffic. The 11-lane section served roughly 25,000 drivers per day when it was in operation. In an effort to combat any possible congestion, the city will adjust traffic lights on the nine-lane replacement road based on conditions at the time. Demolition on the 800-metre-long elevated expressway is well underway, with heavy machinery knocking down chunks of concrete. It should be completed in September, with the new roadway configuration scheduled for delivery by the end of 2016. Once the new street grid is laid out, soft and hard landscaping will begin in anticipation of a September 2017 inauguration.
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