Maria, New Richmond residents fear Highway 132 bridge will remain closed for months

People in the southern part of the Gaspé Peninsula are worried about how long they may be making an arduous detour, after a pillar supporting the only bridge connecting their two communities shifted Monday, forcing the bridge's closure.

Transport Ministry officials closed the bridge crossing the Grand Cascapédia River on Highway 132 after a police officer noticed a depression in the roadway Monday morning.

One of the support pillars which stands in the river tilted away from the bridge, causing a significant dip in the roadway.

Daryl Patnode and his wife, Bella Jerome, live in the nearby Mi'kmaq community of Gesgapegiag. They came to see the bridge when it was first closed on Monday and said by Tuesday morning the pillar had tilted noticeably further and is now leaning closer to the river.

"It's quite a sight," said Patnode.

"This is the main bridge for the transports and everything else that go to Gaspé. It's going to be a major hazard for a while because there's not going to be any traffic on this."

Eric Dubé, the mayor of New Richmond, said he expects it will be months before the bridge is reopened.

One if his main concerns is how long it will take ambulances to make the 11.5-kilometre detour.

The area's hospital is in Maria, and it serves people living as far as about 70 kilometres east. The detour will cost precious minutes in an emergency situation, Dubé said.

Quebec Transport Ministry officials say they need the high muddy waters to recede before they can complete a full inspection of the structure and determine the extent of the damage.

Dubé said work was planned for 2018 to fix erosion at the foot of the pillars, but now he expects the work to be significantly more complicated and expensive.

The Grand Cascapédia is the biggest salmon river in the area. For days now, it has been swollen and roiling. Many low-lying areas near the river are flooded.

The river drains into the Baie des Chaleurs and, according to New Richmond resident Bruce Willett, the bay is now the colour of "Tim Hortons' triple cream" coffee.