Côte-Vertu Metro station closure expected for the summer of 2020

Public transit users commuting in the Saint-Laurent borough can expect overlapping woes in the summer of 2020 because of a Metro station closure in tandem with the closure of local Exo stations.

An anticipated 11-week closure of the Côte-Vertu Metro station will allow for the construction of a new garage.

The STM won't confirm if this closure will also affect the bus terminal.

The minister responsible for the Montreal region, Chantal Rouleau, said commuters in the area may be rerouted to De La Savane Metro, or other nearby stations.

"We are discussing at this time which Metro will be the best," Rouleau said.

"I really need it, but if anything you know, I'll just get a car eventually," commuter Ghassan Khalil said. "I don't know what we can do."

Avoiding the Metro will add time to the daily commute for most public transit users in the area.

"Right now, I'm 20 minutes to get there, if I take the bus it'll be 40 to 45 minutes," Lankes Lingisny said.

Last week it was announced that shuttles to Côte-Vertu Metro station would be one of the solutions to get around the closure of nearby Exo stations starting in 2020.

The closures will allow for work to be carried out on the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail network.

Shuttle buses are currently expected to take commuters who usually rely on the Du Ruisseau and Montpellier Exo stations to Côte-Vertu Metro station.

Montreal's public transit network, the STM, told CBC it is looking at solutions to reduce the impact of the closure.