Municipal leaders in Argenteuil have had enough of fatal vehicle collisions on Autoroute 50 in the region.
On Wednesday, December 10, Joey Raymond of Brownsburg-Chatham was killed in a fatal collision on Autoroute 50.
The mostly two-lane, yet controlled access highway has claimed several lives in recent years. The Québec government has promised to gradually install a guard rail in the two-lane sections and eventually upgrade the highway to four lanes between Buckingham and the Mirabel Airport. Guard rail installation is supposed to begin in Argenteuil in 2026.
“Enough is enough,” Municipalité régionale de comté (MRC) d’Argenteuil Prefect Bernard Bigras-Denis said in a social media post on Thursday, December 11.
“I am deeply discouraged to have to speak out again and comment on the dangers of Autoroute 50 following yet another fatal incident. The configuration of this road is dangerous; the coroners have demonstrated this, the successive deaths attest to it, as do the numerous accidents, both serious and less serious,” Bigras-Denis remarked.
He continued by criticizing the slow action taken to correct the situation on the dangerous highway.
“We can try to find scapegoats, blame driver behavior or maintenance, but the reality remains the same: this road is not configured like a true highway. Two opposing lanes, intersecting at highway speeds, leave no room for error. Clear, swift, and comprehensive measures are now needed to permanently make Autoroute 50 safe. Our community deserves better.”
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of this morning’s victim, as well as the first responders who have to deal with significant psychological stress during these interventions,” Bigras-Denis added.
Brownsburg-Chatham Mayor Kévin Maurice joined Bigras-Denis in expressing dissatisfaction about the continued dangers associated with Autoroute 50 and is demanding more rapid action from the Québec government.
“It is inconceivable that, despite repeated warnings from coroners and successive tragedies, no structural measures have yet been put in place to secure this highway. Our community deserves better; our families deserve better. The safety of citizens cannot be compromised,” Maurice said in a press release issued by the town on December 11.
The town of Brownsburg-Chatham is calling on the Ministère des transports et de la mobilité durable to take immediate action by implementing permanent solutions to prevent head-on collisions and protect the lives of citizens.
