Mercier Bridge will be half-closed for next 2 months
Two of the four lanes — one in each direction — will be closed until August 17
Montreal commuters could face traffic headaches as major work on the Mercier Bridge starts on Friday and continues for two months.
Thousands of drivers use the bridge to go from Montreal to the South Shore every day.
Two of the four lanes — one in each direction — will be closed until Aug. 17.
Châteauguay Mayor Nathalie Simon is concerned the traffic congestion triggered by the repairs will put a strain on residents in the area.
"It means [they'll have] to wake up earlier, waste time in traffic jams and pass less time with families," Simon told CBC Montreal's Daybreak on Friday.
Simon acknowledged that work on the Mercier Bridge is necessary, but said repairs underway on the Champlain Bridge will exacerbate the issue.
"We're paying right now for the lack of planning of the last 20 years," Simon said. "Everything has to be done at the same moment, it costs a lot of money, and we're not even sure that it's going to be enough."
The bridge corporation says workers will spend day and night fixing the Mercier in order to replace a part of the deck, as well as paving and marking work.
During construction, the speed limit on the bridge will be 50 kilometres per hour.
As well, to try and make traffic smoother, trucks will not be allowed to drive to Montreal on the bridge between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., nor can they drive from Montreal on the bridge from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Vice-president of the Quebec Trucking Association, Pierre Aubin, says truck drivers will have to work more hours because of longer detours.
"We can go around Highway 30 but we're still going to be in a jam," he said on Daybreak.
"Instead of going five kilometres [in some cases], we'll be going 30, 35 kilometres if not more."
The access ramp from Châteauguay to Montreal will be closed, however the La Prairie ramp will be open and can work as a detour.