The Highway 30 to bypass Montreal open on December 15

After years of waiting, the way contournerment of Montreal, the 30 finally open on December 15 with a hybrid system of toll have said Wednesday the Ministry of Transportation of Quebec and now NA-30.

The cost of a passage will be $ 1.50 for a car without administration fee per pass. For trucks, the price will be $ 1.15 per axle.

It will be possible to pay by cash or credit card on the spot or by transponder, that is to say with a sticker pasted on the windscreen swept by radar, but then require payment in advance. The driver must in all cases slow down and cross a barrier.

"For us, it's mission accomplished, after four years and three months. Openness will be as planned Saturday, December 15," was exclaimed Denis Leonard, Director of NA-30, for Nouvelle Autoroute 30, in an interview after the presentation.

There will be seven toll lanes in each direction in order to avoid the wait.

This portion of Highway 30, which completes the bypass Montreal from the south, was carried out by a public-private partnership, which is the company NA-30 will be responsible for maintenance for the next 30 years .

Not like the 25

The authorities believe they can avoid the known issues with the bridge 25 rats also has toll and running with a transponder system. Shortly after his inauguration, the users of the bridge were complaining about billing or have to pay an administration fee.

Mr. Leonard ensures that it will not be the case with Highway 30. "To Highway 30, there will be no charge. People who will spend the toll will pay by credit card, by cash when passing. So we were not financing costs to be added to the rates charged to be able to go and collect people after their passage, "he says Leonard.

For regular users who prefer to use the transponder system, "they will have to open an account online, put money in their account and it'll be automatically debited each time," said he added.

The Ministry of Transportation, Sandra Sultana, director of strategic governance projects, explained that Highway 30 is a different project than the bridge 25 in terms of the type of use.

"Highway 30 is in an environment that is a semi-urban rural, much less traffic, much less passing vehicles. This is traffic that is interprovincial, international, interregional, large urban center

a large urban center. The fact that there are vehicles of this nature it requires us to put a tendering system which allowed to have a payment on the spot, not just traffic transponder, which is accustomed to traffic, users frequent, "she has said.

Made a note, there will be only one toll station. But the highway will have eight outputs which will help facilitate local traffic and leave before the toll.

"This is for people who are really going around the island of Montreal. All other people, Beauharnois and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, will be able to take Highway 30, go directly to the Mercier bridge without going toll station "he says Leonard.

After the opening 15 users, there will be official opening on December 17.

By Lia Levesque