Many residents of Pointe-Fortune and surrounding areas who regularly use Route 342 in Pointe-Fortune from Exit 1 are exasperated and concerned about the condition of the roadway. Interview with Pascale Montesano, who lives nearby and denounces the situation. 

"I'm really fed up, and I know I'm not the only one. My children's bus uses this road every day to pick them up and take them to school. The driver doesn't want to drive there anymore because he's damaging his bus too much. To avoid this, the driver makes a U-turn in the driveway of my home, which is very narrow and surrounded by two very deep ditches. For the moment, it's okay to do this maneuver, but I'm afraid for this winter, with the ice. There are about forty children on the bus", says the mother. 

The portion of Route 342 between Exit 1 and Montée Interprovinciale is under municipal jurisdiction. On the sidelines of the interview, Mrs. Montesano decided to take the high road to slow traffic in the area: planting flowers in the imposing potholes on Route 342. An original way of attracting attention. 

In the past, the resident went to the Pointe-Fortune municipal council to denounce the situation. Unfortunately, the elected officials replied that repairing Route 342 would be very costly for the small community, and could not be done in the short term. A situation deplored by the lady who also owns a farm with her husband. 

"I'm not angry or upset with the municipality. I understand their argument. What I don't understand is why the Quebec government, which owns part of Route 342, isn't intervening. The road has been in this condition for years, so why hasn't Quebec intervened before now?In my opinion, if the municipality can't pay, the MTQ should pay, period." 

Ironically, as the owner of a farm with her husband, this is where the Ville de Rigaud comes to deposit crushed asphalt when work is carried out on its municipal territory. "I even suggested to the municipality that me and my boyfriend fill in the holes with this asphalt.We have the machinery to do it, but we can't do it.It just goes to show what a mess we're in," she says. 

She hopes that this cry from the heart will reach the MTQ and that it will wake up. "We need help to repair this road.Just this morning (Friday), a neighbor got a flat tire on his car. We have to do something" she confides. 

Work costing over $2 million 

Contacted by Néomédia earlier in 2023, Pointe-Fortune general manager Jean-Charles Filion had this to say: " The cost of repairing the roadway on the most damaged section alone (1.2 km) is over $2 million.The Municipality can't do this work from its annual operating budget, so we have to find sources of funding and government assistance."

A few days ago, Mr. Filion added the following on this file. "We are in communications with the office of provincial deputy Marilyne Picard to obtain financial assistance to repair this road.The process is underway on our side and we'd like to obtain the maximum amount available to keep our bill to a minimum. " 

For her part, Jeanne Turbide, political attaché to the MNA for Soulanges, says she contacted Mr. Filion a few weeks ago. "I spoke to him to remind him that we can help in this matter.The municipality has done the work it had to do on its side" she said on the other end of the line. 

Earlier in 2023, Mr. Filion reported that the municipality had received at least three claims from citizens for damage to vehicles on this stretch of road.