Drivers across Montreal are being advised to plan ahead this weekend as the Go vélo Montréal Festival, the Montreal Victoire championship parade and several major construction projects are expected to cause widespread road closures and traffic disruptions across the city and surrounding regions.
The annual Tour la Nuit and Tour de l’Île cycling events will take over dozens of streets in multiple boroughs from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, while downtown celebrations for the Montreal Victoire’s historic Walter Cup championship are also expected to draw large crowds on Saturday.
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Officials are encouraging motorists to avoid affected areas whenever possible and to consult traffic updates before travelling.
Tour la Nuit closures begin Friday evening
The Tour la Nuit cycling event takes place Friday from 8:15 p.m. until midnight and will result in extensive closures across northern Montreal.
In Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Saint-Laurent Boulevard will be closed between Highway 40 and the De Castelnau métro station, while Jarry Street will be reserved for cyclists between Christophe-Colomb Avenue and the railway west of Jarry Park.
Several residential streets in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, including Saint-Réal, Letellier and Hamon streets, will also be closed as cyclists travel alongside the railway corridor. Bois-de-Boulogne Avenue will be inaccessible between Henri-Bourassa Boulevard and Émilien-Daoust Street.
Additional closures include Christophe-Colomb Avenue between Jarry and Sauvé streets, portions of Sauvé Street and Côte-Vertu Road near Muir Street, as well as sections of Meilleur Street, which is transitioning to the name Beauharnois Street.
In Saint-Laurent, closures will affect Muir Street, Grenet Street, O’Brien Boulevard and Gouin Boulevard north of Henri-Bourassa Boulevard.
Highway ramps linked to the cycling route will also be affected Friday evening. Exit 73 at Christophe-Colomb Avenue on Highway 40 westbound will close from 7 p.m. to midnight, along with the Crémazie Boulevard East ramp from Highway 40 eastbound. Exit 2 at Côte-Vertu Boulevard on Highway 15 southbound will also be closed during the same period.
Tour de l’Île to affect traffic Sunday
The larger Tour de l’Île event will take place Sunday from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., bringing closures to major arteries throughout the city.
In Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Saint-Laurent Boulevard will be closed between Bernard Street and Legendre Street. Jarry Street West will close to De l’Épée Avenue, while Park Avenue will be inaccessible between Parc métro station and Thérèse-Lavoie Avenue.
Near Frédéric-Back Park, several surrounding streets will also be blocked, making northern access to the park difficult during the event. Saint-Michel Boulevard will remain mostly open except for sections near Deville and Hérelle streets and the Beaubien Street intersection.
In Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Saint-Hubert Street will be closed from Legendre Street to Gouin Boulevard, while eastbound lanes on Gouin Boulevard will be reserved for cyclists. De Lorimier Avenue will also be closed between Prieur Street and Frédéric-Back Park.
Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie will see closures on Beaubien Street between 21st Avenue and Des Érables Avenue.
In Plateau-Mont-Royal, most commercial arteries will remain accessible, but several residential streets, including Henri-Julien and Drolet streets, will face disruptions. Cyclists will also pass through the Roy and Saint-Denis intersection toward Ville-Marie.
Downtown, closures in Ville-Marie and the Quartier des spectacles will affect Saint-Denis Street, Sainte-Catherine Street, Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Saint-Antoine Street near Victoria Square and McGill Street.
In the Sud-Ouest borough, cyclists will travel along Wellington Street, Saint-Patrick Street and Notre-Dame Street, resulting in closures through the Lachine Canal sector and Saint-Rémi tunnel area.
Further west, closures in Westmount, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Outremont will affect portions of Saint-Catherine Street, Sherbrooke Street, Earnscliffe Avenue, McLynn Avenue and Barclay Avenue.
Montreal Victoire Parade Scheduled Saturday
Adding to the busy weekend, the Montreal Victoire will hold its Parade of Champions on Saturday following the team’s first Walter Cup championship.
Celebrations are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. along Sainte-Catherine Street West between De Bleury and Clark streets in the Quartier des spectacles. Drivers are being urged to avoid the downtown core during the event.
Laval and Highway construction closures
Outside Montreal, the Laval Firefighters’ Run on Sunday will also cause several road closures between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Highway ramps and exits near Highways 15 and 19 will be affected throughout the day, including closures at Lévesque Boulevard and access ramps to Notre-Dame and Concorde boulevards.
Meanwhile, several major construction projects will continue across the region through the weekend.
On the Honoré-Mercier Bridge, only one lane in each direction will remain open from Friday at 10 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m.
Multiple closures are also planned at the Highway 13 and Highway 520 interchange near Côte-de-Liesse, including lane reductions, ramp closures and full shutdowns of portions of Highway 520 eastbound through Sunday night.
In Vaudreuil-Dorion, closures will affect Boulevard de la Cité-des-Jeunes and portions of the Highway 20/30 interchange throughout the weekend.
Transport officials warn that schedules could change depending on weather or operational conditions and recommend checking Québec 511 regularly for updated traffic information.
