It will again be necessary to plan for several closures this summer on the Quebec and Pierre-Laporte bridges, between Lévis and the capital. Most of the traffic restrictions will be in effect in the evening and at night, but some work will have to take place during the day, when the region will be in construction mode for the entire season.
This was confirmed on Tuesday by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD), during a technical briefing. On the Pierre-Laporte bridge, first, the replacement of the hangers will again require the closure of two lanes out of three, in “one or two directions” during the night.
Work must be held “continuously” this year to continue the replacement of the 160 damaged suspension lines of the bridge, a major project which should take place at least until 2029, according to the latest schedules provided by the ministry.
In June 2022, revelations from the show Investigation of Radio-Canada had shown that the suspension lines of the Pierre-Laporte bridge are less and less resistant, some of which could even “give way at any time”. The affair had contributed to “accelerating the pace” of the work, had then promised the Minister of Transport at the time, François Bonnardel. Since then, the construction period has been reduced from approximately 15 years to 6 years.
Users will also have to plan for the closure of two out of three lanes of the Pierre-Laporte bridge northbound this summer between 1er May and June 14, 2023. The reason: it is necessary to carry out “flow tests inside the carrying cables”.
For approximately 25 nights between May and October 2023, a “general inspection” of the infrastructure will also force the closure of two out of three lanes, in either direction. “At all times, the work will be coordinated to limit the impact on traffic, in particular with the work on the Quebec Bridge,” assures the ministry.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
An idea of the work planned in the Quebec region this summer.
Focus on the Quebec Bridge
The government is also planning several obstacles on the Quebec Bridge, where work to repair its road deck and sidewalk began in April. Until November 2023, this will lead to the closure of one lane out of three outside peak hours, during the day, and on a few occasions two lanes out of three in the evening and at night. However, the sidewalk will remain accessible during the work.
Other works under the responsibility of Canadian National (CN), which has owned the Quebec Bridge since the early 1990s, will be added to those of the Department and “could occasionally require the complete closure of the bridge, evening and night, until ‘in November,’ recalls the MTMD.
The hours of the closures, which will be announced drop by drop during the summer season, will vary “depending on the day of the week or the weekend and the number of blocked lanes”, it is also argued.
Further east, preparatory work surrounding the construction of the new Île d’Orléans bridge, which should be delivered in 2027, will continue this summer. It will therefore be necessary to provide for “alternating traffic” led by flaggers at the entrance to the island, from Sunday to Friday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., between May and October 2023. If necessary, interventions could also be carried out on day, during the week, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Until November 2023, only two traffic lanes will be maintained on the Côte du Pont. Alternating traffic could also be in effect at certain times, when cyclists and pedestrians will not be able to travel on the lane for the duration of the work. However, a shuttle service will be set up day and evening to allow these users to access and leave the island.