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For six decades, the stretch of Highway 20 connecting the island of Montreal to Île-Perrot and Vaudreuil-Dorion has been a headache for drivers.
Nearly two weeks into the Quebec election campaign, elected officials, business groups and citizens in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Que., are calling on the next provincial government to make redeveloping the corridor a top priority for the ever-growing region.
Danie Deschênes, mayor of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot and president of Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges, says the seven-kilometre stretch running through Île-Perrot to Vaudreuil-Dorion affects residents’ quality of life. Instead of a typical highway, this stretch turns into an urban boulevard.
“The concerns have been the same for more than 60 years,” she said. “Traffic is intense and it’s getting more and more intense every day. Businesses don’t thrive here along the highway.”
According to the Vaudreuil-Soulanges regional county municipality (MRC), more than 21.5 million vehicles travel this segment annually, with roughly 64,000 vehicles using that stretch of road daily.
Deschênes noted that 70 per cent of commercial transportation between Montreal and Ontario relies on Highway 20, yet the 10 traffic lights along the corridor create stop-and-go traffic and long lineups for trucks and commuter cars alike.
“People wait at the lights instead of going to work, going back home, and spending [money] locally. It has an impact on the whole region,” she said.
Claude Comeau, mayor of Pincourt, says when there is an accident on Highway 40, or the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge, Highway 20 becomes gridlocked, trapping residents in town. (Chloë Ranaldi/ CBC)‘We can’t even get out of the town’
Pincourt Mayor Claude Comeau says the MRC wants to see the next government commit to redeveloping the highway as part of the Quebec Infrastructure Plan, complete with a clear timeline.
Comeau says when there is an accident on Highway 40 or the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge, traffic is forced onto Highway 20, cutting directly through his municipality and trapping residents.
“It creates huge traffic on the island and most of the time they pass through our town,” he said. “So our main arteries in Pincourt like 5th Avenue [see] transport trucks and huge traffic, so we can’t even get out of the town many days.”
The MRC has agreed on a proposed overhaul for the stretch which would eliminate all traffic lights, and allow traffic to flow freely, he said.
Deschênes says officials want to see Harwood Boulevard better developed, with access available from both sides.
She also pointed out a major safety issue in Terrasse-Vaudreuil, where a train line runs parallel to Highway 20.
“If a train has an accident or something, people are stuck in their town. They will not be able to get out,” she said.
She says the plan also includes an overpass or an underpass so that people can get to their town safely.
Mélanie Bossé, president of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIVS), says the traffic discourages people from getting out of their cars and shopping locally. (Chloë Ranaldi/ CBC)Businesses severely affected, says chamber of commerce
Mélanie Bossé is the president of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She says all the traffic on the autoroute discourages people from doing business and getting out of their vehicles.
“The current situation drives customers away, delays deliveries, wastes time and creates labour challenges,” said Bossé.
Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Paul Dumoulin says the region will continue to grow in the coming years, and it needs adequate infrastructure. (Chloë Ranaldi/ CBC)
Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Paul Dumoulin says traffic will only get worse with an influx of more than 3,000 workers making their way to the new hospital, slated to open to the public in summer 2028.
He’s inviting all Quebec party leaders and candidates for Vaudreuil to take a drive and see for themselves how challenging the commute can be.
“We want to have an answer from all the political parties,” he said, calling for a clear timeline on when exactly the work would be done.
Dumoulin says officials in the region will maintain pressure on whoever is elected on Oct. 5, saying they do not want to wait another 60 years.