South Shore mayors seek traffic solutions for Mercier Bridge

The approach to Mercier Bridge is certainly no joyride — traffic on the bridge is frequently backed up as far as the eye can see.

This heavy congestion problem is simply a byproduct of supply and demand: too many drivers want to cross the bridge using a limited number of lanes.

The result is not only major delays for people trying to get to work or appointments — heavy traffic is also costly.

Christain Langlois runs a trucking company, Transport Alain Giroux, on the South Shore and says congestion is bad for his company’s bottom line.

“If the driver is in traffic for an hour, we will still have to pay for his time. There is the fuel that is burning, use of the trucks, the goods that are not delivered on time sometimes, so it’s very costly to be in traffic for many hours,” he told Global News.

Some local mayors argue Transports Québec can do more to help.

Pierre-Paul Routhier of Châteauguay insists provincial transport officials must inform his city when emergency repair work is being carried out.

“The Department of Transport should be able to call us, even during the weekend; we will be able to answer,” Routhier told Global News.

The mayor says his city can easily reach residents and warn them in advance to avoid the area or expect delays.

Routhier says an improved communication system would have been useful a few weeks ago, when Transports Québec carried out some repair work on the bridge.

“People were stuck in there for about an hour without knowing what’s going on. You can’t do that,” he said.

Another mayor is looking toward the new Coalition Avenir Québec government to help make traffic flow more smoothly over the bridge.

“We have now three ministers on this side of the Mercier Bridge that can help us to have a good life because we don’t have,” Joceylne Bates of Sainte-Catherine said.

Repair work, set to take place on most weekends through December is expected to result in a reduced number of lanes in both directions on the bridge.