Montreal is grappling with ongoing construction congestion, and the situation seems to be worsening, as revealed in a recent report released on Thursday.
Titled “Maximum Blockage,” this update builds upon a previous study conducted in January 2023. Jointly presented by The Montreal Chamber of Commerce and Tourisme Montréal, the report sheds light on the city’s construction site management challenges.
Originally named “Minimum Blockage,” the report states that this year’s findings have compelled officials to upgrade to the more severe descriptor due to the persisting issues in Montreal’s infrastructure.
The report depicts a downtown area still besieged by simultaneous road projects, deteriorating infrastructure, and a municipal administration that, as per the authors, lacks the essential tools for monitoring and coordinating construction sites effectively.
Across the city, 31% of roadways are classified as being in “poor” or “very poor” condition, with Ville-Marie, the downtown core, bearing the brunt at 41%.
The report reveals that approximately 1,260 km of roads require maintenance or complete reconstruction, equivalent to the distance between Montreal and Boston.
Although the number of congested routes in the city’s central area decreased by nearly 40% compared to the previous year, this decline is attributed to a slowdown in construction commencements rather than prompt repairs. The underlying structural issues persist.
Notwithstanding the decrease, one in four downtown streets this year faced either partial or full blockages, amounting to about 18.7 km of roadways, up from 10.7 km in 2024.
The presence of orange cones on city streets, described as the emblematic symbol of Montreal’s construction woes, has escalated since 2024.
In a specific downtown zone—from Sherbrooke Street to René-Lévesque Boulevard and Guy Street to Drummond Street—researchers tallied 343 orange cones, surpassing last year’s count of 232.
“Pedestrians, cyclists, motorists—everyone’s daily commutes are disrupted,” remarked Isabelle Dessureault, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal, in an open letter.
The authors highlighted the impossibility of basic monitoring due to disorganized city data, emphasizing a laissez-faire approach that permits traffic disruptions even for trivial tasks during peak hours.
The report advocates leveraging Montreal’s technological prowess in AI and engineering to tackle construction challenges, emphasizing the need for modernized management practices.
Dessureault and Lalumière urged the establishment of a “construction site crisis unit” within Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada’s initial 100 days in office to revamp construction planning and address the city’s chronic issues.
