BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report
Despite not announcing anything new when she held a press conference last week, Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault’s statements about the construction timeline for a new Île aux Tourtes bridge glossed over key details – including the fact the completion of the full six lanes of the new span is still not scheduled before the end of 2027 – not 2026.
When speaking to reporters last week, Guilbault said: “We are going to have this bridge faster than it was expected because we accelerated it,” and promised to push the new span into service by the end of 2026, a quickened timeline that had previously been announced in April when Transport Quebec failed to deliver on its promise to reopen the structure to five lanes of traffic in the spring. Five lanes were eventually reinstated this past October, but within a month were cut back to three, when a crack was discovered. The capacity of the span was then trimmed again to only one lane in each direction a week later, on Dec. 1.
But the “end of 2026” target cited by Guilbault is for the completion of only one of two separate structures that are part of the design of the new bridge. According to the plans, this first structure includes the westbound lanes of the new bridge. A separate structure of equal width that will support the eastbound lanes is only scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027. Transport Quebec officials did not specify the date of the start of its construction.
The 1019 Report pushed transport officials for details on the construction timeline late last week.
“The new bridge will be put into service gradually in the following order,” Transport Quebec spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun responded.
See BRIDGE, Page 2.
Also see: REM plans, Page 2
Parking at train station, Page 4
Economic impact, Page 4
Page 1 cutline:
This is what it is like every day now, as traffic heading towards the Île aux Tourtes Bridge crawls along as vehicles prepare to merge into a single lane.
Page 1 credit:
Ian Grant, The 1019 Report
BRIDGE: Details of timeline pushes full completion to 2027
From Page 1
“End of 2026: The first structure will be put in service (five lanes available with dynamic traffic management to maintain three lanes in the direction of rush-hour traffic,” Bensadoun wrote in an email to The 1019 Report.
“End of 2027: Second structure will be put in service (six lanes available, three lanes on each of the two open structures).
“End of 2028: Finalization of the multi-purpose lane.
“2029: End of demolition of the existing bridge.”
Guilbault has come under intense pressure since work to maintain the existing span has encountered a series of emerging problems, including the discovery of worsening cracks in the structure necessitating the reduction in lanes and triggering massive traffic congestion that has added hours to motorists’ daily commutes and unleashing an outpouring of complaints from residents across the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area.
“There was nothing – nothing – new,” said Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon as he described what Guilbault had to say at her press conference last week. “It was a publicity move. We didn’t learn anything. I didn’t learn anything.”
Transport Quebec then moved to close the span completely last weekend to facilitate work, a measure that is expected to be repeated next weekend as well.
On Monday, the speed limit on the span was reduce to 60 kilometre per hour, a precaution Transport Quebec officials say was put in place to reduce the risk of accidents to further protect against temporary blockage of the span if an accident were to occur. In the lead up to the bridge, where there is more than one lane open, the speed limit remains at 70 km/hr, although motorists rarely move faster than a crawl, especially during rush-hour periods, due to heavy congestion as they make their way toward the span.
Photo radar traps have been installed along the approaches to the bridge on both ends to enforce the posted speed limits.