Spring flooding forces closure of Île Mercier Bridge in Montreal

Rising water level from spring flooding has prompted officials to close the Île Mercier Bridge to vehicle traffic as of 7 p.m. Monday in the borough of L’Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève. Pedestrians will still be allowed to use the bridge.

On Tuesday, river water could be seen flowing over the bridge and onto some of the properties on Île Mercier, which is located between Île Bizard and the Island of Montreal. There are about 40 homes there and100 residents.

“It’s come up every single night, quite a bit every night, and now it’s to the point where it’s about a foot-and-a-half of water in the main road,” said resident Patrick Shannon. “Once you’re on there, it hasn’t come to most of the houses yet, but it just comes up every night.

“We just need to be ready. We’ve all been through this before, it’s not the first time on this island, so really it’s about just being prepared.”

City authorities say the closure will remain in place until further notice due to high water on the Rivière des Prairies. Residents are being urged to avoid the area and follow all posted signage.

“This is a preventative measure, of course, by the emergency operations centre to close the bridge to vehicle traffic, anticipating that the water flow would rise significantly,” said Jim Beis, the Montreal executive committee member responsible for security and prevention.

The borough mayor of L’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève says a plan is in place if the water continues to rise.

“As soon as they won’t be able to walk through to their house, there will be some little boats that will be able to carry people around. We invite them to probably go to their family’s house if they can,” said Mayor Danielle Myrand.

Beis says he doesn’t foresee people having to evacuate their homes “in the next short while.”

“But that has to come from the authorities as well when the time comes,” he said. “We’re just making sure that the folks are reassured that we’re there for them and also provide that security necessary.”

On Île Mercier, a number of homes could be seen surrounded by water in photos taken Tuesday morning by Shannon.

“I had to send my kids away to their grandfather’s house to be safe,” Shannon told CityNews. “You can’t go to work, you can’t get in and out. Even if you need supplies, you’ve got to bring it in by hand. That’s no easy water to cross.

“That’s actually not as bad this year so far. Two years ago, three years ago, we were standing in water on this bridge right now where we are. It’s considerably a bit better, but still not great.”

Water levels on the Rivière des Prairies near Île Mercier aren’t expected to go down in the coming days.

“The better situation that we can get, it will be a stabilization,” said Jean Brazeau, the regional director of civil security for the Montreal-Laval and Laurentides-Lanaudière regions. “It can get higher, we’ll see, Wednesday or Thursday. It maybe increase a lot, but it will still be like this. We won’t see any decreasing until Friday or the weekend. That’s for sure.”

Flood-related disruptions extend beyond the bridge. De l’Anse-à-l’Orme Road, between Senneville Road and Timberlea-Trail Street, has also been closed since 5 p.m. Sunday.

Montreal’s Special Response Plan for spring flooding remains active, with teams from the city, boroughs and related municipalities mobilized to ensure public safety. Officials say the agglomeration has the necessary resources in place and has implemented mitigation measures to manage the situation.

Civil security crews remain on the ground monitoring conditions. Residents in flood-prone areas are encouraged to consult official city channels for updates and to subscribe to local alert systems.

Sandbag distribution is being handled by individual boroughs and related cities, and residents can contact their local offices or call 311 for more information.

In addition to the bridge closure on Montreal’s West Island, moderate flooding is being reported by Quebec’s Ministry of Public Security in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue due to rising water levels on Lac des Deux Montagnes. Sand bags and a water pump have been set up along the shoreline.

“I’m noticing the level of the lake really, really high,” said Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue resident Nadine Yazgi. “The whole pier on the side is completely covered. Usually you can walk all the way to the end.”

“We’re supposed to have tomorrow the highest level,” added Sabin Brunet. “Now we’re pretty well protected, so it’s been OK up to now. We still have about a foot left until it starts flooding the whole place. So, I think we should be OK before we put some sandbags in.”

An online map showing road conditions has been made available by the Emergency Measures Coordination Centre to help residents travel safely. Authorities continue to stress the importance of avoiding flooded or restricted areas.