Montreal

Île-aux-Tourtes bridge down to 1 lane in each direction

As of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will only have one lane open per direction. The transport ministry says this should last several weeks.

Transport Ministry says lanes will stay closed for several weeks

Île-aux-Tourtes bridge
The Transport Ministry announced that the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will only have one lane open per direction as of Saturday. (Archives)

The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will have only one lane open in each direction as of midnight Friday. The Transport Ministry says this should last several weeks.

The bridge has had some significant damage, and its eastbound lanes will be completely closed for one hour Friday as of 11 p.m. 

To mitigate traffic, the ministry says the toll passage on Highway 30 and travel from certain stations on the Vaudreuil-Hudson train line will be free of charge until the bridge reopens its lanes. 

The ministry says it is encouraging people to opt for public transit if possible. As of Monday, train service on Exo's Vaudreuil-Hudson line will be free for the following stations:

  • Hudson.
  • Vaudreuil.
  • Dorion.
  • Pincourt.
  • Île-Perrot.

Some mitigation measures were established when the bridge closed completely last week, and they will remain in place. 

"The reopening of a third lane and a return to dynamic traffic management on weekdays will be possible once repair work on the damaged slab has been completed," the ministry said in a news release.