Quebec partially reopens major bridge in Montreal closed last week for safety reasons

MONTREAL — The Quebec government says a major Montreal bridge closed last week for safety reasons will be gradually reopened to traffic starting Friday.

The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge, one of the main bridges motorists use to travel from Montreal to Ontario on the Trans-Canada Highway system, was closed May 20 after a company repairing the structure unintentionally damaged 40 reinforcement bars.

Quebec Transport Minister François Bonnardel said today repair work has made the bridge safe enough to reopen one lane in each direction.

Bonnardel says motorists should still avoid the sector because the bridge isn’t fully open and significant traffic in the area is expected, especially during rush hours.

He says the bridge should be fully reopened by June 21.

The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge links the western tip of the Island of Montreal with the town of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., and is used by 87,000 vehicles a day, 10 per cent of which are trucks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 27, 2021. 

The Canadian Press