MONTREAL -- After an emergency closure last week shuttered the Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge linking Montreal to Ontario, officials say they can start to gradually reopen it to the public beginning next week.
The reopening will be done in phases, with one lane in each direction opening on Monday. Going forward, the bridge will open to more motorists every week until the project's completion on June 21.
On June 7, two lanes will open in the direction with the most traffic, while one lane will be open in the oppositie direction during peak hours.
The following week, starting on June 14, two lanes will open will open in each direction. One week later, the bridge will be at full capacity with three lanes in each direction.
The repairs being done on the aging structure include replacing damaged reinforcement bars and adding "external reinforcement structures."
Last Thursday, Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel said drilling work caused reinforcement bars to deteriorate, which forced the full closure of the bridge that transports more than 87,000 vehicles daily.
The complete closure of the 56-year-old bridge linking Vaudreuil-Dorion to Senneville just west of Montreal, caused major congestion Friday and into the weekend with detours in place.
To accommodate commuters during the closure, tolls on Highway 30 are cancelled.
Bonnardel said work is being done to accelerate the construction of a new bridge that could open near the end of 2026.
The transport minister said he understands drivers are frustrated with the closures that have been causing traffic headaches over the last few days.
"We understand that it's difficult for them and we hope that for next week we'll, maybe, reopen the first lane in the before Monday, but we're not sure," he said. "So we expect on Monday that we will be open [but] if we can do it faster, we'll do it."
