When will work on Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge end? It's 'complicated,' says Transport Ministry
The discovery of major cracks on the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge is causing trouble for off-island commuters, with traffic down from three to two lanes in each direction.
According to Transport Quebec, it's difficult to say when conditions on the bridge will return to normal.
"It's really complicated for us to give a precise date of when we will finalize the work," spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun told CTV News.
Bensadoun said it's possible repair work will still be required after the project's contract ends in 2025.
"Since this is an infrastructure that is pretty old, we have to maintain it and we have to continue doing work."
The nearly 60-year-old bridge, part of Highway 40, connects the Island of Montreal to the Vaudreuil-Dorion suburb.
Drivers say what used to be a quick commute is now a slow and frustrating drive.
Jeanna drives a school bus for children with disabilities. She asked that her last name be omitted for job-related reasons.
"The traffic has become just an absolute nightmare. We're stuck for like 45 minutes," she said.
She said the adjustment has been difficult for her passengers.
"It's hard enough for any children, but these children, obviously, they have disabilities, and they can't fully comprehend traffic," she said. "They get frustrated and upset because they want to go."
Lane changes were first implemented in June of 2022. Until recently, a third lane was alternatingly opened in one direction and then the other, depending on the time of day.
Jeanna hopes the bridge can return to this system, rather than keeping two lanes open in both directions at all times.
In an effort to ease congestion, last weekend, the Transport Ministry established a reserved lane for buses leading up to and heading from the bridge.
But the reserved lanes don't apply to the bridge itself, meaning buses must merge into regular traffic in order to cross.
And Jeanna says many drivers aren't following the new rule.
"Nobody's respecting it," she said. "And if you honk your horn at them, they look at you and they laugh at you. I've even been given the finger."
She wants the province to better enforce the reserved lane with signage and ticketing.
NEW BRIDGE IN THE WORKS
Transport Quebec spokesperson Bensadoun noted that the government plans to start work on a new bridge this year.
She said the project will take at least five-and-a-half years to complete.
In May of 2021, the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge was placed under temporary emergency closure after its reinforcement bars were damaged by drilling work.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.