The owner of a grocery store in Ahuntsic-Cartierville has seen how roadwork can hurt business and hopes the city's plans to revamp some roads are carried out respectfully.
Laurentien Boulevard in front of Marché BKR was under construction last year and it was tough on the store's bottom line, manager Omar Ali said.
The construction meant fewer customers and Ali sometimes struggled to cut costs so he didn't have to lay off any of his employees.
"We had lost some of the customers," he said. "People were questioning if we are open."
Montreal announced Monday it would be spending $1.2 billion on roadwork and infrastructure projects this year.
The work on Laurentien is among the major projects to be undertaken this year, along with work on:
- St-Denis Street, from Jean-Talon and Jarry streets. Will last until 2021, cost $33 million.
- St-Hubert Street, from Bellechasse to Jean-Talon streets. Will last until 2021, cost $60 million.
- Ste-Catherine Street, from Bleury to Mansfield streets. Will cost $82 million over three years.
Improvements could mean installing wider sidewalks, reconfiguring parking and creating safer bike paths.
Ali said he would like to see the city have a solid plan in place which outlines construction projects clearly to anyone they impact — and is completed on a set timetable.
The city is hearing those concerns and pledging to implement penalties for construction companies that don't finish on time, and bonuses for those that finish on time or wrap up early.