‘Timing is just really off’: Businesses worry about Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge closure amid Black Friday weekend

The Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge and a stretch of Highway 40 that connects Montreal’s West Island to Vaudreuil-Dorion will be closed this weekend in both directions from 11:59 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.

For certain businesses in Vaudreuil-Dorion, the bridge closure will likely have a significant impact on sales during this Black Friday weekend. 

“This is a big impact for us, it’s actually very, it’s terrible. We’ve seen closures and closures year after year. We always hope it’s the last time it happens, but to do it on a Black Friday weekend is just the worst scenario. Me and my business in the toys and games industry, we do half of our year for Christmas season,” said Lucie Bourbonnais, the owner of La Ribouldingue. “To schedule a closure on the biggest season, the biggest weekends of our biggest season, is just unbelievable.”

Transport Quebec says that this closure is required to implement a new configuration of Highway 40 lanes in Senneville, which will allow them to continue the reconstruction of concrete slabs on the highway. Tolls on Highway 30 will be suspended during this time.

Brigitte Leblanc, owner of La frite à Brigitte, saying, “Yes, for us, it’s certain that every time the bridge closes, there’s an impact. Our clientele is a bit lower. We have to cancel some employees.”

Valérie Desjardins, co-owner of Boutique L’effet Bulles, said, “During the weekend we have about 250 customers that walk in for this weekend of the Black Friday and we expect about maybe 30 to 50 per cent because of the traffic, because people stay at home.”

Frédérick Perrier, the executive director of the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, said, “We’re not questioning the closure of the bridge is necessary, the timing is just really off right now. It’s the kickoff weekend for the holiday season. Our businesses are making almost 50 per cent of their business during those four weeks and the timing, like the kickoff weekend is just sending the bad message that Vaudreuil is hard to get to.”

“The bridge closure just causes stress and everyone’s already stressed out, the holidays are coming, like they need to do better,” said Sacha Michailides, a resident of Saint-Zotique.

Stéphane Bégin, a resident of Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, saying, “Yes, it definitely has its drawbacks. You have to take a detour via Highway 20 and all that. It’s not exactly fun, is it?”

While Jeremy Picard, a resident of Coteau-du-Lac, said, “I think it’s better to have a safe bridge than a broken one. That’s my opinion.”

Transport Quebec says that this weekend’s reconstruction work is necessary as they prepare to construct the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge and must permanently close the current one by the end of 2026.

“This time of the year for stores, it’s like the time that we do the money for like January, February, March, April, that’s really more low of sales. So closing it during the weekend of the Black Friday was really not the great idea,” said Desjardin.

Bourbonnais added, “Somebody there has to, may I say, wake up and realize the impact that this has on local businesses like ours.”