Special measures are being put in place for the next month to alleviate the traffic chaos caused by a one-lane shutdown on the Champlain Bridge.

On Friday federal transport minister Denis Lebel confirmed the earliest the lane would re-open would be on Dec. 12, and cautioned that it could take longer before construction is complete.

The federal Bridge Corporation ordered the lane closed when a Tuesday morning inspection turned up a 2 mm crack in a concrete edge girder on the southbound side of the bridge.

An afternoon closure quickly turned into 24 hours, then four weeks as the full extent of the problem became known.

Lebel said it may take a long time and cost up to $5 million, but the work to patch up the soon-to-be-demolished bridge is necessary.

"The safety and security of the population is our main goal. When something is dangerous for them we close the lane," Lebel said.

Over the next month crews will be working two shifts, seven days a week, to remove, replace and reinforce the damaged area. It will be tricky because the affected area of the span will have to be enclosed in a shelter so the concrete cures appropriately in the cold weather.

The Champlain Bridge is going to be replaced, likely within the next ten years, because it is in such poor shape.

Speaking to Montreal's Board of Trade on Friday Prime Minister Stephen Harper repeated that the replacement bridge will have tolls.

 

Special measures

During this month the follow special measures will be in place.

  • Adding three extra cars on each metro train on the Yellow line
  • Keeping a reserved bus lane heading toward Montreal in the morning rush hour
  • Adding an extra car on trains leaving and heading to Candiac and Mont St. Hilaire
  • Extra parking spaces at the Chevrier, Brossard and Panama stations
  • Giving buses a priority lane heading toward the Champlain Bridge
  • Handing out free transit tickets to drivers
  • Extending one-way hours on the Victoria Bridge in the afternoon
  • Extending rush-hour lane changes on the Jacques Cartier Bridge
  • Delaying construction work on the Lafontaine tunnel and Mercier Bridge
  • Speeding up work on the Highway 20/Lafontaine tunnel interchange