Quebec Construction Zone Leaves Local Restaurants Struggling to Survive
Imagine pouring your heart and soul into building a restaurant, spending years crafting not just a menu, but a community, only to see it all slowly crumble — not because of bad food or poor service, but because of roadwork. That’s exactly what’s happening right now in Québec, near the Tête des Ponts interchange, where several business owners are saying loud and clear: “We’re being strangled.”
Since 2023, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) has been carrying out a massive reconstruction project on the Tête des Ponts interchange. And while the work may be necessary for the long term, the short-term consequences are devastating for local restaurants and hotels. Access to these businesses has been severely limited. Customers who once popped in for a meal now face confusing detours and traffic delays that can stretch over 30 minutes — just to get to dinner.
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One of the loudest voices in this crisis is Chef Mathieu Guérard, owner of Le Galopin. He’s been candid about the toll this construction has taken. He already had to take out a personal loan just to stay afloat. Now, with even more road closures coming — including the full shutdown of Avenue des Hôtels until the end of 2026 — he’s wondering how much longer he can hold on. His restaurant has no direct access from Chemin Saint-Louis, meaning patrons from Québec must cross the bridge to Lévis and loop back around. And let’s be honest: who’s doing all that for a meal, no matter how good?
Nearby, another local institution, Ristorante Michelangelo, faces a similar fate. Nicolas Cortina, who’s been at the helm for decades, is unsure if his restaurant will even make it to its 55th anniversary. He’s in the middle of negotiations with the government over part of his land being taken for the road project — but that uncertainty only adds to the pressure.
Last June, Guérard and five other entrepreneurs penned a letter to the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, begging for a financial assistance plan. They’ve accepted that the renovations might be necessary, but they argue there’s been a regulatory deadlock when it comes to compensation — even though some have lost up to 40% of their monthly income. And while the City of Québec has offered support in similar cases, the provincial ministry currently has no such compensation program .
In November, many of these same business owners raised red flags, hoping to spark change before it was too late. Unfortunately, their cries for help have so far been met with silence. A beautiful new interchange might be on the way — but for many of these restaurants, there’s a real fear they won’t be around to see it.
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