Quebec is evaluating several scenarios to restore the road link between Minganie and the rest of the province, after the discovery of a crack that forced the closure of the Touzel bridge for an indefinite period. A temporary bridge could, for example, be set up while the required work is carried out.
“We may possibly be evaluating another bridge. We are also evaluating possibilities for ferries, ”suggested Wednesday the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, in a press scrum in Quebec.
After a protocol inspection, the Touzel bridge was completely closed on Tuesday for an indefinite period. A crack was discovered on the metal structure of the bridge, making it potentially risky in the eyes of the authorities.
Mme Guilbault maintains that since Tuesday, his teams have been thinking about various “alternative solutions”, since at the end of the analyzes carried out by his ministry, which could take up to 72 hours, “there will most likely be necessary work, so the bridge will remain closed”.
Asked whether Quebec could call on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to build a temporary bridge, the one who is also Deputy Prime Minister remained cautious. “This is what we are looking at in relation to the configuration of the premises. These are not all the bridges that can be installed there, ”she raised, without advancing further.
In recent history, the Canadian army was notably called upon to build a temporary bridge in the Laval region, in order to re-establish the road link with Île-Verte. More than a hundred soldiers were then dispatched to the area to erect the structure.
Planes already in reinforcement
On Wednesday, a first plane took off around 9 a.m. from Montreal to supply the region with goods, medical supplies and food. This plane will make two round trips a day, for at least three days. A second aircraft will be available for passenger transport. Other such devices could eventually be deployed as needed.
“It’s not an easy situation for the North Coasters,” said the minister responsible for the region, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, on Wednesday.
Wanting to be reassuring, Mme Jourdain, however, indicated that according to CISSS de la Côte-Nord, “there are no problems with the supply of drugs”. “They are already starting to think, if the situation persists, to ensure that non-urgent appointments can possibly be made outside the region. We are really in solutions mode, ”insisted the minister.
A special line has been set up to serve the affected populations. If you have any questions regarding the current situation, you can call 1-877-644-4545 for immediate assistance.
Despite its immense territory, Minganie is home to less than 6,500 inhabitants, according to data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ). The majority of them live in Havre-Saint-Pierre. Built in 1973, the Touzel Bridge is located on Route 138 and spans the Sheldrake River. Its total length is 107 meters and its width is just over 11 meters.
As early as November 2021, the Ministry of Transport had warned in its last general inspection that it was necessary “to carry out a visual survey of the top of each stiffener to see if there are any cracks” on the Touzel bridge. It was then concluded that work was not immediately necessary. The bridge is approaching the end of its useful life, given its high exposure to bank erosion, a phenomenon that would not, however, be the cause of the current closure of the bridge.
With Tommy Chouinard, The Press