One lane of the Champlain Bridge is closed and will not reopen for the next four weeks.
Transport Quebec and the Bridge Corporation confirmed the month-long closure just before 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, one day after the lane was closed.
An inspection of the bridge Tuesday morning turned up a serious flaw in part of the support structure for the span, prompting the bridge authority to close one of the Longueuil-bound lanes.
The detailed inspection completed Wednesday confirmed the 2-mm crack could affect the structural integrity of the girder and so needed to be repaired.
Double shifts to reinforce girder
Since the steel beams on either side of the one with the crack do not show any signs of damage or stress the bridge will remain open, with one lane closed to allow for the repair and reinforcement work.
Construction crews will work seven days a week, two shifts per day to do the work as quickly as possible.
Those men and women will have to build a shelter, tear out existing concrete, and install carbon fibre and other materials to reinforce the structure.
The Champlain Bridge is in poor shape and plans for its replacement are being drawn up, but it is expected to take ten years before a new span is built and ready to open.
Until then engineering teams are monitoring the bridge on a regular basis, and it was during one of these detailed inspections that crews detected a crack in a girder that runs along the edge of the bridge.
Expect delays for next month
During the Wednesday morning commute buses heading toward Montreal were forced to use the regular traffic lanes, so that two lanes toward the South Shore could stay open.
This traffic pattern will remain the same during the next month, at least for morning rush hours.
In the evening the bridge will have two lanes heading toward Montreal, two lanes going South, and one dedicated bus lane operating for longer hours.
The Bridge Corporation cautions that the other bridges and tunnels to and from the the South Shore cannot handle the extra traffic burden.
Authorities are recommending people carpool and take public transit while repair work is being done.
