Bicyclists who like to get close to the water while riding between the South Shore and Montreal will soon have to take another route across the St. Lawrence River.
The ice bridge upstream from the Champlain Bridge is being upgraded to handle heavier loads in preparation for the increasing maintenance on the Champlain Bridge, and the construction of a new span.
While the main purpose of the construction will be to increase the load the bridge can safely hold, the Bridge corporation is also going to improve the structure to create a separate bicycle/pedestrian path.
It promises the improved path will have an anti-skid coating that will make it more useful in winter, and that the ice bridge will also get new, brighter, street lights.
As of Monday, July 6 the ice bridge will be off-limits to pedestrians and cyclists. Instead, people can board a free shuttle that will run from one side of the bridge to the other from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day.
Construction is expected to take almost a full year.
