THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BEGIN ON May 11, 2009
Québec, May 1st, 2009 –
The commission of inquiry of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), made up of Michel Germain, chair, and Jean-François Longré and
Anne-Marie Parent, commissioners, is holding the first part of the public hearing on the Projet de reconstruction du complexe Turcot à Montréal, Montréal-Ouest et Westmount par le ministère des Transports. The public hearing will begin on May 11th, 2009, at 7:00 p.m at the gymnasium of the Centre récréatif, culturel et sportif de Saint-Zotique, located at 75, square
Sir-Georges-Étienne-Cartier, in Montréal. The sessions will continue on the following days, depending on the needs of the public and the commission. Simultaneous translation services will be made available on the premises. The sessions will be audio direct broadcasted on the BAPE’s Web site at www.bape.gouv.qc.ca.
A HEARING IN TWO PARTS
- Obtaining information
The public hearing will take place in two parts. In the presence of the proponent and resource persons invited to answer participants’ questions, the first part will allow the public and the commission to obtain information about the project in order to learn more about it and examine all its aspects.
- Voicing opinions
During the second part of the public hearing, which will begin on June 15th, 2009, at the same location, the commission will obtain the public’s opinion and suggestions. The commission will hear any person, group, organization or municipality wishing to express an opinion on the project, be it in the form of a brief or an oral presentation.
The commission of inquiry has a maximum period of four months to carry out its mandate. The BAPE report will be submitted to Line Beauchamp, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, by September 11th, 2009, at the latest. The Minister will then have 60 days to make the report public.
WHERE CAN THE PROJECT DOCUMENTATION BE CONSULTED ?
The documents pertaining to the impact study of the project are available for consultation at the following regional consultation centres :
- Bibliothèque l’Octogone, 1080, avenue Dollard, LaSalle ;
- Bibliothèque Georges-Vanier, 2450, rue Workman, Montréal ;
- Bibliothèque Saint-Henri, 4707, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal.
The entire file is available at the BAPE office in Québec, 575, rue Saint-Amable, bureau 2.10, at Bibliothèque centrale de l’Université du Québec à Montréal, Pavillon Hubert-Aquin, 1255, rue Saint-Denis, local A-M100, as well as on the BAPE website at www.bape.gouv.qc.ca, under the heading « Mandats en cours ».
THE PROJECT
The project of the ministère des Transports comprises the reconstruction of the Turcot, De La Vérendrye, Angrignon and Montréal-Ouest interchanges, as well as segments of autoroutes 15, 20 and 720. The Turcot interchange, the central element of the complex, would be rebuilt at its current location, whereas the right of way of autoroute 20 would be moved to the foot of Falaise Saint-Jacques between the Angrignon and Turcot interchanges. Autoroute 15 would be rebuilt in parallel to the existing infrastructure between Lachine canal and the De La Vérendrye interchange, whereas autoroute 720 would be moved slightly southwards. The new infrastructures would be built in large part on the ground and on embankments. As a result, they would be much less high than the existing infrastructures.
Most of the infrastructures of the Turcot complex were built in the mid-1960s. Consequently, they have practically reached the end of their useful life. According to the ministère des Transports, they are greatly solicited by the volume of vehicles that use them, and some structures are in poor condition or no longer meet current seismic standards. This situation has forced the Ministry to devote ever greater sums to work aiming to repair and render the complex safe. These interventions, which must be carried out on a recurrent basis, result in partial or total traffic lane closures, having effects on road network users and leading to an increase in traffic in nearby neighbourhoods.
The dismantlement and construction work would extend over a seven-year period, namely from the end of 2009 to the end of 2016. The new Turcot complex would be operational in 2015. The majority of the work would be carried out by maintaining the required service for road and railway network users. The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.5 billion. This estimate includes the cost of building new road and rail infrastructures, the cost associated with the preparation of the project, real estate activities as well as the decontamination of lands.
WHAT IS THE BAPE ?
The BAPE is a public information and consultation organization that allows citizens to express their views on a given project and to take part in the decision-making process, which may or may not lead to the authorization of a project. The BAPE carries out the mandates entrusted to it by the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, notably the public information and consultation of the documentation mandate lasting 45 days, the inquiry and public hearing mandate which may last up to 4 months, and the inquiry and mediation mandate lasting about 2 months.
In response to the requests for a public hearing submitted to the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks by citizens, groups, organizations or municipalities, the BAPE has been mandated to hold a public hearing on the Projet de reconstruction du complexe Turcot à Montréal, Montréal-Ouest et Westmount par le ministère des Transports.
For more information, you can get in touch with Monique Gélinas, coordinator of the commission’s secretariat, or with Danielle Hawey, communication advisor, by dialing toll-free 1 800 463-4732 or 418 643-7447. You can also contact the commission by e-mail at the following address: complexe-turcot@bape.gouv.qc.ca.
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Source: Danielle Hawey
Communications Advisor
1 800 463-4732 or 418 643-7447 extension 533
complexe-turcot@bape.gouv.qc.ca
