Some much-needed reprieve is coming to users of the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge.
The new one is currently being built and is scheduled to be open to traffic by the end of 2026 — one year ahead of schedule.
The accelerated timeline is due to the deteriorating condition of the existing bridge, which is 58 years old and has outlived its lifespan, according to Transports Quéto bec officials.
“We are going to have this new bridge faster than it was expected because we accelerated it,” Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault told reporters Monday afternoon.
Only one lane has been open to traffic in each direction on the existing bridge since the beginning of December due to a major new crack that was discovered and other infrastructure problems.
Engineers are monitoring its condition on a regular basis and work crews are constantly making repairs.
Guilbault insists drivers have nothing to fear.
”As soon as we find out that there is an emergency situation or that there is something that it’s not safe, we close it,” she said.
Mayors on both sides of the bridge are anxious for the new one to open.
”The quickest we can get that new bridge operating, the better it’s going to be for everybody,” Julie Brisebois, Mayor of Senneville, told Global News.
Guilbault is hoping to re-open another lane on the existing bridge in a few weeks but she’s not making any promises.
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