Residents of Montreal's Pointe St. Charles are fed up with the prolonged construction.

A two-year water main replacement project along Grand Trunk Street in Montreal's Sud-Ouest neighborhood has taken twice as long — and people in the area are fed up.

“We have no comment,” resident Stephanie Labelle said. “We don't know where it's going, what's going on, and it's going to continue. “You call the city and they say, 'Oh, it'll be over in a month,' and it takes three months.”

Simon Puckett told Action-Gardien that despite the district's pledge to improve outreach last year, people were frustrated by the poor communication. Community Development Corporation it brings together community groups around Pointe St. Charles.

The city's website has a page showing the construction project that was last updated in December 2022. The goal is to renovate the street this spring, the leaflet says.

Stephanie Labelle says her two young children, ages one and three, have known nothing but construction their whole lives. (CBC)

Located on Grand Trunk Street, St. Columba's House offers a wide range of services to the community, including an after-school program, preschool, youth groups, day camp and classes. There is also programming for adults and seniors, including those with physical or mental challenges.

Volunteer Steven Wells said the construction made it difficult for a vehicle adapted to drop off people with mobility issues to approach the building.

He said St Columba's House was very busy with arrivals and departures and “you have to be careful because all this construction is difficult and the children are dangerous”.

Labelle said she wants city officials to understand what's going on.

Renovating Grand Trunk Street's underground infrastructure was supposed to be a two-year project. Now the city has been working for four years and says that it will be finished at the end of June. (CBC)

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He called the city and asked for information, but could not get a clear answer, he said. Her young children, aged one and three, only know life in front of a construction site where heavy machinery works all day.

According to Maja Vodanovic, a member of the executive committee in charge of water management, the construction was stopped in February because the contractor could not complete the work according to the requirements.

He said the contractor's non-compliance led to the two-year delay.

“In that case, they should stop and repeat what they did,” he said. “We don't always know how long it will take.”

When it comes to notifying citizens, he said there may be a disconnect between city inspectors and the township.

Maja Vodanovic, a member of the executive committee in charge of water management, said that if the contractor's work is found to be substandard, it will have to be repaired. (CBC)

Duroking Construction is the contractor responsible for the work, and according to Vodanovich, “we hope they have what it takes to get it done. Therefore, it will be completed by the end of June.”

Duroking did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Alan DeSouza, an opposition city council member and mayor of St. Laurent, said the city should consider some form of compensation for residents who endured four years of construction because the contractor failed to do the job properly.

He said he does not accept that citizens cannot get clear answers about delays from the district or the city.

“Where were the elected officials?” he said. “It's too easy to sweep it under the rug and say 'I'm sorry.' In this case, the city should make up for it.”