Quebec City's tramway is years away. But plans to build it will disrupt your commute very soon

Quebec City's tramway network is still years away, scheduled to begin operating in 2033.

There's a lot to do between now and then, but that work will intensify very soon — and it will affect how people get around the city.

Take René-Lévesque Boulevard, for example. In the words of Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, the major artery will be "very, very different, essentially non-existent" once major work is underway.

The city still needs to provide more details, including dates for the different phases of the work as well as mitigation measures. We should learn more on Wednesday.

But for now, here's a look at what we know.

The tramway project is being overseen by the Quebec government, Quebec City and CDPQ Infra, the subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which is known for creating Montreal's light-rail train network.

The tramway network will include 19 kilometres worth of routes that span from east to west, linking the Le Gendre, Sainte-Foy, Saint-Roch and Charlesbourg sectors in Phase one.

That part of the network will have five hubs, or pôles as they're called in French, designed to serve as transit transfer corridors allowing people to go from one mode of transportation to the other. Those hubs are: Le Gendre, Sainte-Foy, Université Laval, Saint-Roch and Charlesbourg.

Work over the next year will be mostly carried out between the Le Gendre and Saint-Roch hubs and focus on rebuilding sewer and water supply networks.

In the spring, the city will do major underground work along René-Lévesque Boulevard in the Saint-Sacrement area and that will trigger major changes to routines for drivers.

As of March 21, a span of about five kilometres, between Université Laval and the Grand Théâtre, would have three major work sites where vehicle movement would be limited to local traffic only.

This work will lead to the gradual removal of parking spaces along that stretch, according to Marc des Rivières, the city's director of transport services and smart mobility.

"The removal of parking spots will happen when the Caisse gives us the signal and says that they are ready to do the work," the director said.

Alternative routes will include Sainte-Foy Road, Grande-Allée as well as Charest and Champlain boulevards.