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For six decades, the stretch of Highway 20 connecting the island of Montreal to \u00cele-Perrot and Vaudreuil-Dorion has been a headache for drivers.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Danie Desch\u00eanes, mayor of Notre-Dame-de-l’\u00cele-Perrot and president of D\u00e9veloppement Vaudreuil-Soulanges, says the seven-kilometre stretch running through \u00cele-Perrot to Vaudreuil-Dorion affects residents’ quality of life. Instead of a typical highway, this stretch turns into an urban boulevard. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe concerns have been the same for more than 60 years,\u201d she said. \u201cTraffic is intense and it’s getting more and more intense every day. Businesses don’t thrive here along the highway.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Desch\u00eanes 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople wait at the lights instead of going to work, going back home, and spending [money] locally. It has an impact on the whole region,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Claude Comeau, mayor of Pincourt, says when there is an accident on Highway 40, or the \u00cele-aux-Tourtes Bridge, Highway 20 becomes gridlocked, trapping residents in town. (Chlo\u00eb Ranaldi\/ CBC)\u2018We can’t even get out of the town\u2019<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Comeau says when there is an accident on Highway 40 or the \u00cele-aux-Tourtes Bridge, traffic is forced onto Highway 20, cutting directly through his municipality and trapping residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt creates huge traffic on the island and most of the time they pass through our town,\u201d he said. \u201cSo 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Desch\u00eanes says officials want to see Harwood Boulevard better developed, with access available from both sides.<\/p>\n
She also pointed out a major safety issue in Terrasse-Vaudreuil, where a train line runs parallel to Highway 20.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a train has an accident or something, people are stuck in their town. They will not be able to get out,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She says the plan also includes an overpass or an underpass so that people can get to their town safely.<\/p>\n
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M\u00e9lanie Boss\u00e9, 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. (Chlo\u00eb Ranaldi\/ CBC)Businesses severely affected, says chamber of commerce<\/p>\n
M\u00e9lanie Boss\u00e9 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current situation drives customers away, delays deliveries, wastes time and creates labour challenges,\u201d said Boss\u00e9.<\/p>\n
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Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Paul Dumoulin says the region will continue to grow in the coming years, and it needs adequate infrastructure. (Chlo\u00eb Ranaldi\/ CBC)<\/p>\n