(Montreal) The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge loses a track again: The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) announced on Friday that the structure that connects western Montreal to Vaudreuil-Dorion is no longer “just will have a track per “direction” for several weeks.
Published yesterday at 8:10 p.m.
Marie-Ève Martel The Canadian Press
The Quebec Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) explains this unforeseen closure as “damage to part of the panel”.
To reduce congestion caused by this closure, MTMD is encouraging motorists to prioritize public transportation or take Highway 20.
Truck drivers are asked to take a detour via Highway 30, where tolls are free for the duration of the closure.
From Monday, train services on Exo line 11 will be free for passengers boarding at Hudon, Vaudreuil, Dorion, Pincourt and Île-Perrot stations.
In addition, additional departures will be added to the train timetable, as well as around a hundred bus departures on lines 7, 10, 35 and 40 managed by exo.
Once the slab is repaired – the MTMD did not provide a timeline – consideration could be given to reopening a third lane on the bridge to improve traffic during rush hours.
Other discoveries
The discovery of the damaged slab comes nearly two weeks after a crack was discovered on the bridge, leading to the closure of one lane, again indefinitely.
The MTMD planned to conduct in-depth assessments and analyses.
The Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge also had to be urgently closed on May 20, 2021 due to damage to reinforcing bars during drilling work.
Of the six lanes that the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge normally includes, only two remain as of this weekend. The building, inaugurated in 1965, is now reaching the end of its useful life. It has had structural problems for several years and is currently undergoing extensive renovation. Partial commissioning is planned for the end of 2026.
According to the ministry, it is an important infrastructure used by 87,000 vehicles every day, 10% of which are trucks. Many road users use it to enter Ontario via Highway 40 or enter the metropolis of Quebec.
With Bruno Marcotte and Henri Ouellette-Vézina, La Presse