Bike lanes, new trees part of plan to spruce up Turcot-adjacent neighbourhoods
Plan does not, however, include money for the so-called 'dalle-parc'
The City of Montreal has announced an $80-million, 32-point plan to spruce up Southwest neighbourhoods around the new Turcot interchange.
The plan includes adding bike lanes, planting trees, adding green space and trying to find occupants for vacant industrial and heritage buildings in the western part of Saint-Henri and the eastern part of Côte-Saint-Paul.
"We want to optimize mobility and increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. It's a major facelift," said Southwest borough Mayor Benoit Dorais.
The plan does not, however, include money for an a elevated cycling and pedestrian bridge and park — the so-called "dalle-parc" — that was originally part of the Turcot plan.
The $40-million project would have linked neighbourhoods north and south of Highway 20.
Transports Québec included the park in its original plans for the interchange but eventually scrapped it seeing the cost as too high.
The city has not given up hope of reviving the dalle-parc and the Couillard government has indicated it may be open to that.
The city announced in April it wanted to spend $125,000 on a feasibility study for the project.
Dorais says parts of the plan unveiled today could be connected to the walkway, if it ever sees the light of day.
The measures will be implemented gradually between now and 2025.