News

A ring road will encircle Mount Royal

A 10 km path will be constructed by 2011

The Ville de Montréal and the Government of Québec announced a project to create a ring road and north-south roads on Mount Royal during a press conference at the Beaver Lake pavilion on November 14, 2008. A new 10 km ring road creating a loop around the mountain will provide access to pedestrians and cyclists from the western and northern flanks of the mountain, a project estimated at $7.5 million. 

During Les amis de la montagne’s presentation of their position paper before the Office de consultation Publique de Montréal on June 19, 2008, Les amis brought a number of concrete questions forward, despite their generally enthusiastic approval of the project.

“This project is very worthwhile for Mount Royal, an opportunity to correct accessibility issues and an occasion to “step outside” the Park in order to explore the mountain in its entirety,” said Sylvie Guilbault, Executive Director of the organization.

Nonetheless, the project must avoid giving the impression that it consists of six divided sections spanning three boroughs, rather than a single ring road on the mountain. On top of the project’s planned development, the concept must be supported by correspondingly appropriate management practices that meet the high quality of standards expected for a site of such emblematic importance.

“Our elected officials must now answer questions regarding the means to be deployed for this project, the staffing that will be assigned to it and which borough will be responsible,” added Sylvie Guilbault. “While the city is preparing to add close to a dozen kilometres of public infrastructure on the mountain, an efficient management model is essential.”