Third lane of Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge to reopen Monday
Posted January 11, 2024 3:50 pm.
Last Updated January 11, 2024 3:52 pm.
Some good news for motorists who use the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge to travel to and from the western part of the island: one lane is scheduled to be reopened.
The Quebec Transport Ministry announced Thursday that repair work on a portion of the damaged slab on the bridge is complete and that three of the six lanes will be open on January 15, weather permitting.
It means two lanes will be open towards Vaudreuil-Dorion and one lane towards Montreal.
However, the lanes will not alternate to manage traffic during rush hour due to safety reasons.
The Ministry said in a press release that there is not enough space to reconfigure traffic daily, while continuing the repair work.
“The space required to continue the work to reinforce the girders does not allow for an increase in the width of the traffic lanes at this time, which is a prerequisite for the implementation of dynamic management,” it reads.
The bridge will also be completely closed on Sunday at 8 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m. to re-establish the third lane.
The bridge has been partially closed since a crack was found in the structure in November.
The Transport Ministry says continued repair work will allow for more lanes to reopen in the coming months.
87,000 people travel on the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge daily. It connects Montreal’s west island and Vaudreuil-Soulanges in the Montérégie.
Construction on the new bridge start last month and is slated to be finished by the end of 2026.
