The Touzel bridge linking Minganie to the rest of Quebec will remain closed for several more days, the reopening being scheduled for “the end of next week”. The analyzes carried out on the structure by engineers from the Ministry of Transport revealed that the foundations were not affected.
“Following the analyzes carried out by our Transports Québec teams, I am announcing that we will be able to reopen the bridge to light vehicles as of the end of next week”, indeed indicated the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, in a tweet. .
Earlier this week, after a protocol inspection, the Touzel bridge had been completely closed on Tuesday for a period that was so far indefinite. A crack was discovered on the metal structure of the bridge, making it potentially risky in the eyes of the authorities. Result: Minganie found itself completely isolated by road from the rest of Quebec.
The minister’s office said Friday that the crack observed on the bridge “did not spread to the soles”, in other words the foundations of the structure.
This is what makes it possible to envisage a reopening by the end of next week. “The first plates are on the way and their installation can begin as soon as they arrive on site”, argued in this sense the press attaché, Maxime Roy.
Service maintained by the air
Until the reopening, “we will maintain the airlift for supplies and emergencies”, also confirmed Mr.me Guilbault on Twitter. On Wednesday, a first plane took off around 9 a.m. from Montreal to supply the region with goods, medical supplies and various foodstuffs. This plane has since made two round trips a day.
A Hydro-Quebec plane with about 50 seats was then dispatched Thursday to transport citizens of the North Shore as a priority awaiting medical examinations. The two devices will therefore continue their operation in the coming days, and others could be added as needed.
On Thursday, the authorities also invited the population to limit their consumption of goods and fuel to essential needs, in order to ensure an equitable distribution of available resources.
Note: health and social services are maintained in Minganie. There is currently no problem with the availability of supplies or medicines. For laboratory tests, the Côte-Nord Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) organizes air transportation. However, some samples could be a little late in the current context.
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.