Montrealers should prepare for worse-than-usual Grand Prix traffic this weekend | CBC News

Montreal is preparing to host its annual Canadian Grand Prix event this weekend — and with the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel under construction, traffic is expected to be worse than usual.

The city is expecting an influx of about 100,000 people for the event, which runs Friday through Sunday at the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit on Île Notre-Dame. 

As of Thursday, there will be no closures allowed on important routes, including Highway 20 and all bridges. But the La Fontaine tunnel will remain partially closed, putting pressure on the Jacques Cartier, Victoria and Champlain bridges.

The Grand Prix pit lane walk is Thursday morning and the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit will be open until 3 p.m., for fans to watch the safety and medical cars complete high-speed laps of the track.

Downtown Montreal will be the site of the Grand Prix Festival, a series of concerts and race-related events. Peel Street is closed between de Maisonneuve and René-Lévesque boulevards. As of tonight, Crescent Street will be closed between Sherbrooke and Ste-Catherine streets.

Traffic will resume as usual Monday after the Grand Prix.

Getting on or off the islands

Traffic on de la Concorde bridge from Cité du Havre to Île Notre-Dame Island will be restricted to guests accredited by the Grand Prix.

Taxis going to Île Notre-Dame and Île Sainte-Hélène will have to take the Jacques Cartier bridge. No other traffic will be allowed on Macdonald Road connecting the the two bridges.

The city is encouraging people to ditch their cars and take public transit instead, especially if they are heading downtown, the Grand Prix site, the Francos festival or La Ronde, where parking will be limited.

Metros will run more often, with trains passing the yellow line every four minutes, and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) recommends that people buy their passes in advance to avoid queues at the ticket booth. 

About 400 taxis and 120 shuttles will run continuously over the weekend as the parking spaces available on Île Sainte-Hélène are limited.

The city says its parking lots can only accommodate vehicles for about two per cent of the people expected at the F1 race.

“Even you’re one of the lucky guys to find a spot to park your car, after the event you will need maybe two to two-and-a-half hours to exit the island. So if you go there by car, make sure your tank is full,” said Montreal spokesperson Philippe Sabourin.

If you do need to drive between Montreal and the South Shore this weekend, it’s recommended you arrive early in the morning and leave late at night, after the crowds have cleared. The same goes for people coming into Montreal.

“There’s many things to do [this weekend]; you have the Mural festival, the Francofolies, you have the Grand Prix and 25 streets are pedestrian. There’s a lot of things you can do and there’s one place you want to be this weekend, and it’s in Montreal,” said Sabourin.

“Come very early, and stay with us all day — even the supper — and don’t leave Montreal until 8 p.m.”