Mercier Bridge construction snarling traffic

WATCH: The construction blitz has finally started on the Mercier Bridge. Global’s Tim Sargeant gets a tour of the site.

MONTREAL — Thousands of daily drivers are forced to merge into one lane in each direction on the Mercier Bridge this summer.

Dozens of new concrete decks – 12-ton slabs – are being installed on one section of the bridge.

It’s a $30 million job this year that started last month and will continue until mid-August.

Close to 100 workers are on site 20 hours per day, seven days a week.

“One side of the blitz is already completed and we’re half way into the second phase of the mini-blitz,” Mark Standup of the Mohawk Bridge Consortium told Global News.

The job is part of $200 million bridge reinforcement effort to extend its life span.

The project began in 2008 and is scheduled to be finished next year.

“This is the best way to do small part every year and extend the project,” Raphael Lavoie of the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc. (JCCBI) told Global News.

The bridge is an essential span over the St-Lawrence seaway with more than 80,000 vehicles using it every day.

Traffic delays have been unavoidable during the work project but officials insist they’re doing all they can to minimize the impact.

A reserved bus lane has opened on Route 138 on the South Shore leading to the bridge. And trucks are prohibited from using it during rush hour.

“First week was really difficult. We had up to an hour wait time. Got better with every week. We’re around 20, 15 minutes now on rush hour,” said Julie Paquet of the JCCBI.

Crews are hoping to finish ahead of schedule well before summer ends.