Ile-aux-Tourtes bridge to be reduced to one lane each way for weeks: MTQ
Traffic on the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction "for several weeks" at least as of Friday night, Quebec's transport ministry has confirmed.
"As of this Saturday, at 12:01 a.m., only one lane will be available per direction on the bridge due to damage to a portion of the slab," read a ministry advisory.
The MTQ says workers discovered the damage while they were removing concrete from the surface of the bridge. Underneath, the ministry said, they discovered "extensive damage."
While the team knew that part of the bridge was in rough shape, but that the actual condition was worse than anticipated.
"We had to take the difficult decision to remove another lane, which leaves us with only two lanes out of six," said Sarah Bensadoun, a spokesperson for the MTQ.
"This is a structure that is at the end of its lifespan," she said. "We know there are surprises that will happen in the next few weeks and next few months. We are prepared for that, and we also have a budget."
The MTQ has a budget of $376 million just to maintain the existing bridge, which will eventually be dismantled.
"We will maintain the structure until the new Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge is in service," she added. The completed structure is set to be operational in 2027.
OTHER OPTIONS
"The public is invited to favour public transportation," read the release. The Highway 30 toll route will also be free while the bridge is reduced to one lane each way.
As of Dec. 4, commuters entering the Vaudreuil-Hudson line at the following stations will be able to ride for free:
- Hudson
- Vaudreuil
- Dorion
- Pincourt
- Île-Perrot
The bridge, which connects the Island of Montreal to Vaudreuil-Dorion, was already reconfigured to three lanes last week after a new crack was discovered.
The mayor of Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue, one of the affected municipalities, said she and mayors of various nearby municipalities were informed of the change Friday evening.
She told CTV she was concerned that reduced lanes on the bridge would send more heavy trucks through her community, which straddles Highway 20 -- the nearest alternative route to get off the island.
"What in the dickens do you want me to?" she said in a telephone interview.
"They gave us a timeline that a new bridge would be ready in about two years from now," she added. "Something's got to be done with (Highway) 20, permanently ... We cannot keep on going like this."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
BREAKING Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.
A look back on Alberta's record-breaking wildfire season: Preparing for potential challenges in 2024
By the end of the 2023 wildfire season in Alberta, 1,088 wildfires had burned more than 2.2 million hectares of land, and this year, the wildfire season is already in full swing.
Person charged in random assault on actor Steve Buscemi in New York
A person wanted in connection with the random assault on actor Steve Buscemi on a New York City street earlier this month was taken into custody Friday, police said.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.