Île-aux-Tourtes bridge: third lane reopens
Posted January 15, 2024 9:10 am.
As of Monday morning, a third lane was reopened on the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge, between the island of Montreal and the western part of the Montérégie region – which has been undergoing major work for the last several weeks.
Transport Quebec says the completion of work on a damaged portion of the bridge has made it possible to reopen the third lane.
Two lanes to Vaudreuil-Dorion and one to Montreal will be available at all times.
With the one-lane-per-direction configuration, the authorities analyzed that congestion during the evening rush hour towards Montérégie was higher than during the morning rush hour towards Montreal. In addition, the evening rush hour was longer than the morning rush hour.
he Ministry explains that the space required to continue reinforcing the beams does not allow for an increase in the width of the traffic lanes at present, which is a prerequisite for the implementation of dynamic traffic management.
Given the reduced number of traffic lanes on the bridge, the range of mitigation measures has been enhanced.
Utilize public transit
From February onwards, passengers will need a valid ticket to use train and bus services. Fare discounts are to be confirmed shortly.
All exo bus routes in the La Presqu’Île sector, as well as routes 212 and 411 of the STM, remain free of charge in January, and users must still acquire a valid ticket if they wish to transfer to another public transit service.
Distribution of free public transit tickets continues in January at Hudson, Vaudreuil, Dorion, Pincourt, Île-Perrot, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Baie-d’Urfé stations on the exo 11 Vaudreuil-Hudson train line. Riders boarding at any of these seven stations continue to receive a free two-ride pass, including connections to the bus and metro networks and the Réseau express métropolitain (REM).
The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge, inaugurated in 1966, has undergone extensive work in recent years due to structural problems. The Ministry of Transport has announced that it will be rebuilt over the next few years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French and translated by CityNews.
