Big, red terrasse installation on St-Denis St. underway

A part of St-Denis Street is now bright red.

On Monday, crews began installing La Grande Terrasse Rouge a long, continuous red terrasse that will run along St. Denis Street between Roy Street and Mount-Royal Avenue.

The terrasse, being built by the city, is to help compensate the owners of the street's 109 businesses for the upcoming road work that is expected to last morethan a year.

• St-Denis Street mega-terrasse planned during road work

St-Denis Street, between Duluth Avenue and Marie-Anne Street, requires newsewer and drinkingwater pipes. The street'sunderground electrical infrastructure has to be reconstructed, and finished off withfresh pavement and new sidewalks.

The construction work won't wrap up before November 2016.

The city hopes the mega terrasse will keep Montrealers in the area.

Back in June, it promised to keep 180 parking spots on the street and relocate another 80. It has also promised to make space for pedestrians to walk around, and to clean the work site every day.

Timeline of the road work:

• Aug. 3 to Aug. 27: Installation of La Grande Terrasse Rouge on the east side of St-Denis, between Roy St. and Mont-Royal Ave.
• Aug. 31 to November: reconstruction of underground electrical infrastructure
• November 2015 to January 2016: break
• By March 2016: underground electrical infrastructure completed
• March 2016 to the fall of 2016: reconstruction of watermains, pavement, sidewalks on east side of St-Denis
• Fall 2016 to end of 2016: reconstruction on west side of St-Denis completed

In a news release issued on Monday, the city says it has planned a public information session about the project before the work begins.

"This session will present detailed workflow, the timeline, and the impact-management measures that will be put in place," the release said.

The date and place of the public information session will be announced later this month.