Frustrated Mercier Bridge commuters had a bit of relief this week. A series of traffic-calming measures were put in place to compensate for congestion caused by road work on the span.
Friday morning, heading to the Mercier from Kahnawake, things were better.
“We saw a little improvement,” said David Lahache, who runs a Facebook group that monitors the bridge, and acts as a traffic liaison between the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and Transports Quebec.
“After a full week now of the mitigation measures being in place, we have seen a reduction in traffic,” he said.
Construction has reduced the bridge to one lane in each direction. Last week people were stuck in gridlock, sometimes for several hours.
READ MORE: Mayors, transport minister discuss traffic relief measures for Mercier Bridge
Transport authorities took action. Trucks with more than three axles are not allowed on the bridge during rush hour.
“Without the trucks, we do see the traffic flow increasing,” Lahache told Global News.
Exo bus services into the city were also made free to encourage people to use public transit.
“Most of the people I’m talking to do enjoy it. They think it’s easier in the morning, especially during this bridge work,” he said.
READ MORE: Motorists find a way around Mercier Bridge construction chaos
In addition to the free buses, free commuter train service was offered on the Candiac line. Transports Quebec says the combination worked.
“It had an impact this week, the different measures put in place,” said spokesperson Martin Girard.
July 6 is the last scheduled day for free public transit, though Lahache is hoping authorities extend the offer. Transports Quebec believes lower volume on the roads, in general, has helped too.
“There are more people on vacation so we can see there’s less cars everywhere in Montreal,” said Girard.
The work on the Mercier Bridge continues until August.
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