Quebec offering more free bus routes to ease traffic on Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge

Quebec is implementing additional "mitigation measures" to help ease congestion on the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge, where traffic has been reduced to just one lane in each direction amid repair work.

As of Friday, buses can use the shoulder on Highway 40 westbound (towards Vaudreuil-Dorion) for 1.5 kilometres between Frédéric-Back Street and Des Anciens-Combattants Boulevard.

"This will enable public transit users to bypass the congestion caused by the new lane configuration on the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge," reads a Friday press release from the Quebec Transport Ministry.

The measure applies to school, Exo and STM buses.

Also, starting Monday, Exo bus routes 7, 10, 35 and 91 will be free to ride. The 40 Exo express bus, made free earlier this week, remains an option for users travelling between Vaudreuil-Dorion and the Island of Montreal.


The free train service on Exo's 11 Vaudreuil-Hudson line is also maintained.

Last Saturday, traffic on the bridge -- already reduced to three lanes following the discovery of a new crack -- was cut down further to one lane in either direction.

Quebec has budgeted $376 million to maintain the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge, which was built in 1965. Its $2.3 billion replacement is scheduled to open in 2026.