Montreal considers 24/7 construction on major projects

The steady drone of construction that acts as a soundtrack to Montreal summers could soon extend into the night at least on some major streets.

The city is considering around-the-clock work to speed up major projects, like the one that has paralyzed St-Denis Street.

The idea of having construction workers on the job 24/7 was among 17 recommendations made in a report released Monday aimed at making the city more business friendly.

"We need to do that. That will reduce the time," said Pierre Desrochers, president of the city's executive committee.

"We need to plan the work and get it done, fast and on time."

Merchants complainedearlier this summerthatthe roadwork had led to a 90 per cent drop in business on the street.

In an interview on Daybreak,Desrochers said the city is also considering offering compensation to merchants hurt by road work, a longstanding demand of many small businesses in Montreal.

"We know that there are some other cities that do that around the world, and we're going tolook at different programs that do exist and see how we can apply them to Montreal," he said.

Some provincial projects, such as the Turcot Interchange, are already worked on through the night.

The noise from that project, however,has prompted complaints from nearby residents.

More on the advisory group's recommendations:

• User fees for water and garbage pickup, Montreal advisors recommend
• Montreal looks to 'change culture' to attract more businesses