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Many drivers already expect heavy traffic as they head into Montreal during rush hour, but what’s coming could be congestion at an unprecedented level – especially if you’re driving in on highway 20 from the west.

Transports Quebec announced Wednesday morning that the access ramp to the A720 eastbound from A20 will be reduced to one lane from its current two beginning October 16 and lasting until 2018.

Then in mid-November it gets a lot worse.

Three kilometres of the Ville-Marie Expressway – the elevated portion of A720 East – will completely close to traffic until 2018.

All four lanes will be diverted onto a two lane temporary road called Route 136.

Making matter worse, that temporary road will also close to traffic for 12 to 15 weekends.

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Coming to #Montreal: Monster traffic jams. Oct. 16: A720 ramp reduced to 1 lane. Mid-Nov: A720 East completely closed til 2018. #MTQ #STM pic.twitter.com/KntWrAbOzy — Tim Sargeant (@tfsargeant) October 12, 2016

MTQ officials working on the Turcot project are informing the public to use local roads like St-Patrick Street or Notre-Dame Street to get into downtown Montreal.

They’re also asking Montrealers to use more public transit, but the problem is that many of the express buses coming from the West Island will get stuck in the same traffic as regular vehicles.

The reserved bus lane ends after Lachine.