Mark the dates in your calendar: on the weekends of August 18 and September 22, the Pierre-Laporte bridge sector should be avoided, as major congestion is anticipated due to work on the Risi bridge, at the approaching Quebec, which will force the closure of a complete lane in each direction.
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“We are talking about the closure of a complete direction. Three lanes out of six are closed. […] The closure of certain ramps with detours will be necessary, ”explained Tuesday during an information session the spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport (MTQ) Émilie Lord.
“The sector will be avoided. Congestion is expected near the Pierre-Laporte and Quebec bridges, as well as in the 311 interchange of Highway 20, during the first northbound blitz.
Oversized trucks prohibited
Oversize trucks over 3.4 m wide will not be able to travel on the bridges during these two weekends and will therefore have to plan to cross the river in Montreal, since the Laviolette bridge, in Trois-Rivières, will also be in width restriction.
The two work blitzes are aimed at replacing a joint in the deck of the Risi bridge, which crosses the Chaudière River, approaching the Laporte bridge. Arrived at the end of its useful life, the important piece of metal gave way in 2022 and had to be replaced temporarily, the time to plan permanent works of $10 million.
So we start by closing the north direction, from Friday August 18 to Monday August 21. Northbound traffic will be transferred to a single contraflow diverted lane, and two southbound lanes will be maintained. From September 22 to 25, the same scenario will occur, this time heading south.
From 4000 to 1300 vehicles capacity
During a normal weekend, it circulates about 4000 vehicles per hour on the Laporte bridge in the afternoon. The capacity will be reduced to 1300. MTQ experts advise the population to cross only if necessary, to promote teleworking. If inter-river travel must take place, it is best to carpool, use public transit or revise the route.
The Quebec Bridge may be an alternative, but it will also quickly become congested if no one changes their habits, said Patrick Houle, acting director general for the MTQ in Chaudière-Appalaches. The anticipated situation is similar to that which prevailed during major work on the bridge in 2021.
Various measures will be put in place to facilitate travel, says the Ministry, such as the display of travel times, increased patrols by police and highway controllers, communications to the trucking industry. A “fairly imposing” staffing plan will be put in place at the City of Lévis Police Department to facilitate the transport of ambulance attendants in an emergency corridor.