Champlain Bridge emergency plans updated in the event of span closure

A new emergency plan is now in place should officials have to suddenly shut down the Champlain Bridge because of safety concerns.

Radio-Canada has obtained documents which outline the plans developed by a committee made up of 19 partners including the Ministry of Transport, the City of Montreal and the Quebec Trucking Association.

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The plan details what measures should be put in place so that Montreal and the South Shore are not paralyzed if the bridge suddenly has to be closed down.

The new plan recommends several measures to facilitate the more than 200,000 daily passages on the bridge, including:

• New parking lots on the South Shore.
• Additional trains on the yellow and green metro lines.
• Shuttles to take passengers across the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
• Priority bus lanes on several highways and streets in Montreal, including Papineau Avenue, Sherbrooke Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard.
• Rules to allow motorists who carpool to use bus lanes.
• Promotion of telecommuting or allowing people to start work at different times.

The previous plan had been put into place in 2014 after engineers discovered a crack that led to the use of a support structure known as the "super beam."

The new plan abandons some of the original measures including a river shuttle between Longueuil and the Old Port and free tolls on Highway 30.

Transport Quebec spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun says those measures were deemed "less effective."      

Bridge is safe to drive on, say officials

Last week officials with Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridge Incorporated gave an update on the condition of the Champlain Bridge.

Officials said the repair and structural work done over the past year, including the installation of 34 trusses, have made the bridge structurally sound and safe to drive on.

An inspection report released in July revealed that the bridge was suffering from cracks, corrosion and surface deterioration.

But the bridge corporation says $100 million has been spent over the past year to ensure the bridge is safe and inspections are carried out regularly.