Ask anyone on Jean-Talon Street East how business is going and you’ll hear the same answer: quiet. Too quiet. The Blue Line extension, the long-promised push of the metro east from Saint-Michel to Anjou, is now deep in construction, and merchants say the work is driving their customers away. This week, the local business association went public with a striking number and a request for a seat at the table. Here’s what’s being built, why the street is struggling and what happens between now and 2031.
“There’s no traffic”
According to CTV News, the Société de développement commercial (SDC) de la rue Jean-Talon says pedestrian traffic has fallen by 90 per cent, from 1,000 people to 100. SDC president Paul Micheletti joked that you could play street hockey in the road without moving the nets. At lunchtime, CTV found the dining room at Amir empty, and a similar scene at Café Buongiorno, whose owner, Robert Spiridigliozzi, said sales are down because his business depends on foot traffic.
The association points to two big factors: the 141 bus, which used to run along Jean-Talon, has been moved to Bélanger Street, and construction has cut off key intersections. It says it isn’t against the metro or asking for the work to stop. What it wants is to be consulted on decisions so the commercial strip survives until the stations open.
In a statement, the STM said it is attentive to merchants’ concerns and is already working with the borough, the SDC and partners on initiatives to revitalize neighbourhood life.
What the Blue Line extension will actually deliver
The project, managed by the Projet ligne bleue office, adds five new stations east of Saint-Michel, all along Jean-Talon, with service promised for 2031. Per the project’s station page:
- Vertières, at Jean-Talon and Pie-IX
- Mary-Two-Axe-Earley, at Jean-Talon and Viau
- Cesira-Parisotto, at Jean-Talon and Lacordaire
- Madeleine-Parent, at Jean-Talon and Langelier
- Anjou, at Jean-Talon and Highway 25
Every station will have elevators. The project estimates 16,000 new riders on the extension during the morning rush, and a trip of under 10 minutes from Anjou to Saint-Michel. In all, it adds 8 kilometres of tunnel, including an underground train garage, plus seven auxiliary buildings and three operational facilities. Each station gets its own architecture and an artwork by one of five selected artists, in keeping with the metro’s tradition.
Patience has been part of the deal for a long time. The extension was first promised decades ago, and its budget has grown with each update: reported estimates rose from roughly $3.9 billion, to $4.7 billion in 2019, to about $7.6 billion when the opening target was pushed to 2031. For the east end, the payoff is a direct metro link where many residents now rely on crowded buses along Jean-Talon and Pie-IX.
Meet Lisette, the tunnel boring machine
The heavy lifting is underground. The project’s tunnel boring machine, nicknamed Lisette and described as the largest ever seen in Quebec, arrived at the Port of Montreal in October 2025 and was assembled at the future Vertières station site. On May 19, 2026, it began its 4.6-kilometre dig toward Anjou.
Why it’s hitting the street so hard
Construction began in 2024 and isn’t scheduled to wrap until 2031, which means several more years of detours and fencing. Station work happens at major intersections, exactly where shoppers used to cross, and moving a busy bus line one street over changes how people move through the neighbourhood. Merchants warned CTV that empty dining rooms could turn into empty storefronts before the trains arrive.
How you can help (and how to stay informed)
- Go out of your way. Jean-Talon East is still open for business. Plan a lunch, an espresso or a grocery run there instead of the usual spot.
- Check before you drive. Intersections change as work moves. Transit is often simpler.
- Follow the project. The Projet ligne bleue site publishes news, work notices and an e-newsletter by sector.
- Have your say. Residents can find consultation and information sessions on the project’s citizen participation page.
The bigger picture
The Blue Line extension is one of several major infrastructure stories shaping daily life in Montreal this fall, along with the Mercier Bridge debate, the city’s snow-removal overhaul and the effects of the municipal strike. The east end has waited decades for this line; the question now is how many of its local businesses will still be there to greet the first trains.
We’ll keep following this story. For more, visit our News section. À suivre.
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Photo: Jeangagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources: CTV News Montreal, Projet ligne bleue, Projet ligne bleue (stations), Projet ligne bleue (tunnel boring machine)
