Last weekend’s monstrous traffic jams, which caused so much trouble on the approach to Montreal Trudeau Airport, show that you have to “develop the 511 reflex” to plan your travels, believes the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Genevieve Guilbeault.
• Also read: This weekend’s monster jam: MTQ will do a post-mortem check
• Also read: Trapped motorists in Montreal: ‘Despair and anger’
• Also read: “A complete nightmare!”: A young family on their way to the airport is stuck in traffic for 3:30 in the morning.
The concrete work, which forced the complete closure of Interstate 20 westbound at the St. Pierre junction, had repercussions for customs in Lacolle, as it took people four hours before they could get home.
The family who needed to get to the airport to catch their flight on Saturday afternoon took 3.5 hours to complete a journey that normally takes 20 minutes.
The taxi driver who was picking them up, Jonathan Santos, told TVA Nouvelles “It was crazy, people were getting out of their cars to do ‘jumping jacks’, they were taking their dogs out in the middle of the highway, there were ladies urinating on the side of the highway.” .
TVA news clips
“When I see people walking with their bags on the shoulders of the highway because they are afraid of missing their flight, and for some, who have unfortunately lost their flights, I find that to be inconsequential.” Ms. Gilbolt commented, on the sidelines of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
Ms. Guillebolt recalled that the work done at the Saint-Pierre interchange was “necessary” and “essential” in order to prevent the problems from worsening, noting the necessary significant catch-up in terms of road infrastructure.
“We publish press releases every Friday, but not everyone consults them. We have to find a way to be better,” admitted the Deputy Prime Minister.
This, according to her, is another file that constitutes a “communication challenge” for her ministry.
To better plan their trips, “people need to be able to know in advance what construction sites are going to be there, and they can have the reflex to go and find out about 511, in particular,” said Ms. Guilbault.
“Music guru. Incurable web practitioner. Thinker. Lifelong zombie junkie. Tv buff. Typical organizer. Evil beer scholar.”
More Stories
Summer Vacation: Many Estriens will take the route to the East Coast
Consumers want to boycott Loblaw grocery stores in May
Delays and flight cancellations: Here are the US airlines you should avoid