Montreal borough's residents' traffic woes growing due to multiple construction sites

Why traffic may seem worse than usual in NDG Some people in Notre-Dame-de-Grace say they have never seen traffic this bad. A traffic analyst offers an explanation.

Construction worksites in Montreal's Cote-des-Neiges--Notre-Dame-de-Grace (CDN-NDG) borough are causing constant headaches to drivers in the area.

Quebec's Ministry of Transport's site Quebec511.info lists almost 20 worksites in the borough.

For example, Somerled Avenue is closed, as is the eastbound lane on Cote-Saint-Luc Road. This results in alternate routes like Fielding and Montkland avenues being overwhelmed with backed-up traffic.

Some drivers say traffic headaches are just part of living in a city, while others say it's not normal, complaining that their commute has doubled or even tripled.

Traffic analyst Rick Leckner said poor planning mixed with the back-to-school season are to blame.

"The work has to get done," said Leckner. "But there could have been better planning. There needs to be better oversight. There needs to be better communication with the residents, and there needs to be accountability."

Leckner said it's important for drivers to stay patient because construction on larger sites isn't expected to be done anytime soon.

Work on Somerled Avenue, for example, is expected to last until 2025.