(Montreal) The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge once again loses a lane: the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) announced Friday that the structure linking the west of Montreal to Vaudreuil-Dorion will not have no more “only one lane per direction” for several weeks.
The Quebec Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) explains this unforeseen closure by “damage to a portion of the slab”.
To alleviate the congestion caused by this closure, motorists are invited by the MTMD to favor public transportation, or to take Highway 20.
Truckers are invited to take a detour via Highway 30, the toll for which will be free for the duration of the closure.
Starting Monday, train service on exo line 11 will be free for passengers boarding at Hudon, Vaudreuil, Dorion, Pincourt and Île-Perrot stations.
Additional departures will also be added to the train schedule, as will around a hundred bus departures on routes 7,10, 35 and 40 managed by exo.
As soon as the slab is repaired – the MTMD did not specify a timetable – the reopening of a third lane on the bridge could be considered, making it possible to improve traffic during rush hours.
Other discoveries
The discovery of the damaged slab comes almost two weeks after a crack was detected on the bridge, which led to the closure of one lane, again for an indefinite period.
The MTMD planned to carry out more in-depth assessments and analyses.
The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge also had to be urgently closed on May 20, 2021 due to damage caused to reinforcing rods during drilling work.
Of the six lanes that the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge usually includes, there will only be two left as of this weekend. Inaugurated in 1965, this structure is now reaching the end of its useful life. It has been experiencing structural problems for several years and is undergoing a comprehensive reconstruction. Partial commissioning is planned for the end of 2026.
This is an important infrastructure which is used by 87,000 vehicles daily, including 10% trucks, according to Ministry data. Many road users use it to travel to Ontario via Highway 40 or to enter the Quebec metropolis.
With Bruno Marcotte and Henri Ouellette-Vézina, The Press