Traffic has finally resumed on the Pont des Piles in Shawinigan, a first since its closure last February.
For motorists who had to make long detours, this reopening is excellent news. They were almost 12,000 a day to use it before the works.
The overuse of the Grand-Mère bridge for seven months has left its mark in Shawinigan.
“It damaged streets and roads, particularly in rang Saint-Mathieu, so we will agree with the Ministry of Transport for the rest of things. The damage was still relatively minimal, but yes, there were impacts,” said the mayor of Shawinigan, Michel Angers.
The total cost of the work has not yet been calculated, but an initial budget of $9 million has been spent, then another $5.4 million has been released.
“This structure has been under surveillance for a long time. It has several sensors so of course, there was an inspection before opening it and the ministry will continue to monitor it, ”explained the spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, Roxanne Pellerin.