The Jacques Cartier Bridge plans to test out a pilot project, allowing cyclists to use the bridge throughout the 2019-2020 winter season.
A group of 25 volunteer cyclists have already been chosen and the project has received another 100 applicants since announcing the project. The 25 people selected will have special access to the bridge as a part of the initiative, which will test whether the multi-purpose bridge can be used year-’round.
As the cyclists get private access to cross the bridge with their bikes throughout the winter, they’ll provide feedback to the Jacques Cartier Bridge authorities on their experience.
The cyclists will be given a special vest and a key to the bridge.
Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) communications director Nathalie Lessard said the data collected will be used to make a decision in the future.
A budget of $250,000 will go toward snow removal and removing ice from the lanes, and the total cost of the project has a budget of $700,000.
Lessard noted the challenges a Montreal winter will pose for the initiative.
“With the weather conditions over the Saint Lawrence, the high wind and moisture, we can imagine the conditions of the path may be changing through out the day,” said Lessard.
“It will be a complicated project for us.”
The project is set to begin once the bridge is closed for the winter, which officials expect to be sometime in early December.
The 25 cyclists’ access to the path, however, will be limited to weekdays and certain hours that have not yet been set.