Ile-aux-Tourtes bridge reopens Saturday morning

Montreal -

More commuters can finally cross the l'Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge starting Saturday, which is fully reopening two weeks ahead of schedule after an emergency shutdown last month.

Quebec’s transport ministry announced Friday that three lanes will reopen in each direction beginning Saturday at 7 a.m.

However, the bridge will have to completely shut down once more Friday night at 10 p.m. for nine hours to allow crews to mark the traffic lanes and do other last-minute work.

That means the elimination of tolls on Highway 30 will end once the bridge fully reopens.

The bridge, a major link toward Ontario, was closed suddenly on May 20, causing major congestion in the days that followed and led to people turning to the train, ferry and highways 20 and 30 for workarounds.

In a news release on Friday, Transport Minister François Bonnardel thanked motorists for their patience after the closure caused traffic headaches.  

"I would like to remind you that the bridge is safe and that road users can travel on it without any worries. Thank you to the teams who took part in the interventions that led to this faster than expected reopening," the minister said.

Motorists can expect further lane closures in the future as crews continue to do maintenance on the aging structure, which is being replaced over the next decade.