The Government of Quebec announced that the selection process for the design, construction and financing of the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge project is now complete. They confirmed that the new infrastructure will be put into service gradually from the end of 2026.
The new bridge will consist of two separate structures and will include three lanes of traffic per direction, a two-way multi-purpose lane and wide shoulders suitable for use by buses. The cost of the project is $2.3 billion, entirely financed by the Government of Quebec.
“We are pleased to announce that the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will gradually be put into service sooner than expected,” said Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. “A key infrastructure for the west of the metropolitan area, it will significantly improve mobility in this sector, both for motorists and for active transportation enthusiasts and public transit users. It will also constitute a distinctive door at the entrance to the region through its architecture.”
According to the province, the planning of the project will have been shortened by approximately 18 months thanks to the optimization of the schedule as well as the exceptional measures provided for by the Act respecting the acceleration of certain infrastructure projects. Some preparatory clearing and drilling work necessary for the design of the new bridge has already begun. Construction work is expected to begin by the end of the summer.
“This announcement confirms our commitment to set in motion this long-awaited project in the greater metropolitan area and more particularly by the citizens of western Montérégie. I am very proud of all the work accomplished so far. We are taking a decisive step to provide the region with a signature structure that lives up to its aspirations, sustaining travel between the two shores along the axis of Highway 40,” said Suzanne Roy, Minister of Families and Minister responsible for the Montérégie region.
Commissioned in 1965, the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge is used by 87,000 vehicles, 10% of which are trucks. It has been the subject of several interventions over the past three decades. In the 1990s and 2000s, the Ministry carried out various work to reinforce the beams. Since 2016, the infrastructure has been subject to a rigorous maintenance and support program to ensure the safety of road users.
In December 2022, following the progression of certain existing cracks on a beam, the Ministry was forced to close a traffic lane as a preventive measure. Work is in progress to reopen this fifth lane as soon as possible. However, the government wishes to remind you that the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge remains safe. To this end, a total amount of $376.7 million is planned for the asset maintenance project on the bridge until it is decommissioned. This amount includes investments of nearly $176 million made before 2023.
To mitigate the impact of this configuration required during the reinforcement work on the bridge, the Department has temporarily set up a reserved lane in the left lane of Highway 40, which reduces the time required for buses, taxis , emergency vehicles and carpoolers (two or more people on board) to reach the bridge. The Department is also funding public transit mitigation measures in the area. In 2023, an amount of nearly $1.9 million is planned to finance:
- 24 departures on the A-40 express line between Vaudreuil-Dorion and the Côte-Vertu metro station;
- 34 departures on lines 7 and 10 between Vaudreuil-Dorion , Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Pointe-Claire ;
- 22 departures on line 35 in the L’Île-Perrot sector.
The reconstruction work on the bridge will be carried out mainly to the north of the existing structure. Traffic will be maintained on the existing bridge during the works, which will therefore have a limited impact on traffic.
A new first structure will be put into service at the end of 2026, allowing the opening of five traffic lanes (with dynamic management in the direction of the tip). Three lanes per direction will be open to traffic when the second structure is commissioned, scheduled for the end of 2027. The deconstruction of the existing bridge will be completed in 2029, while the final stages of the project, including various landscaping, will be completed in 2030.
In order to select the consortium responsible for carrying out the reconstruction work on the bridge, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility began a rigorous selection process in 2021, including in particular a quality assessment and a compliance analysis of the technical proposals. and financial.
The Nouveau Pont Île-aux-Tourtes Group is the one that submitted a compliant proposal with the lowest price adjusted according to its quality. It is made up of the following companies:
- Dragados Canada Inc.
- Roxboro Excavation Inc.
- Construction Demathieu & Bard (CDB) Inc.
Featured image: Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge. (EXP)
