Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge construction saga devastating local businesses

A recent survey has found that ongoing construction on the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge is having a devastating effect on businesses west of Montreal.

Merchants in Vaudreuil-Dorion say they can't keep losing money and clients.

"It's hell," said Linda Filion, who owns the EggsCrêpes restaurant. "It's blocked everywhere. Everything is blocked."

She says the breakfast and lunch rushes at her Vaudreuil restaurant are nowhere near what they used to be.

Filion points out that traffic is a nightmare whether people take Highway 20, Highway 40 or smaller thoroughfares like Saint-Charles Avenue.

She says she's lost longtime regulars due to the traffic, including those that once came in on the weekends.

The traffic, she says, is due to construction on the bridge, which has resulted in lane reductions, closures and delays.

Developpement Vaudreuil-Soulanges and the Vaudreuil Soulanges Chamber of Commerce recently hired a firm to assess day-to-day challenges faced by businesses as a result of the disruptions.

Leger 360 surveyed around 400 local businesses in May.

"Eighty-three per cent of all the companies that responded to the survey have major concern with their survival because of the situation on the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge," said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mathieu Miljours.

The survey also revealed that 90 per cent of respondents believe the situation is having a negative impact on their business.

The organizations are demanding action from the government, including free passage on Highway 30, free public transportation in the area and improved communication on closures and delays on the bridge.

The Quebec Transport Ministry (MTQ) tells CTV News that it already offers a lot of communication on the bridge's condition as it requires regular maintenance.

It adds that its mission is road infrastructure and safety, and not the local economy.