Fall 2014 blitz on the Champlain Bridge: Confirmation of the complete closure towards Montréal on the Champlain Bridge - all the details

LONGUEUIL, QC, Oct. 2, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) wishes to CONFIRM to road users that the Champlain Bridge will be COMPLETELY CLOSED towards Montréal throughout the first work blitz scheduled for this weekend, from Friday, October 3 at 10 p.m. to Monday, October 6 at 5 a.m.   

Special measures have been taken to ensure the realization of these major worksites despite the expected weather conditions.

During this work blitz, workers will connect the new Île des Sœurs Bypass Bridge to the current Champlain Bridge corridor. Construction of the new bridge began in August 2013 and it will officially enter into service once the connections are finalized. Crews will also replace eight half expansion joints on the Champlain Bridge's deck.

To reduce the number of traffic hindrances as much as possible, the JCCBI will consolidate all the work scheduled for this fall (initially planned to take place over four or five weekends – view the original schedule) into two weekend blitzes (October 3 to 6 and October 17 to 20). These endeavours represent the most significant work to ever take place on weekends on the Champlain Bridge, they also represent a huge logistical challenge. 

Preferred options:

• Road users should use the Bonaventure Expressway to reach Île des Sœurs and the South Shore during the first weekend work blitz.
• On that weekend, both lanes on the Victoria Bridge will be open in the direction of Montreal.
• The fifth lane on the Jacques Cartier Bridge will be open as needed in either direction.
• A shuttles service will be offered by the STM between Montréal and Longueuil (more info): an access ramp will be reserved for these shuttles to access the Jacques Cartier Bridge towards Montreal and avoid traffic. 
• The Honoré Mercier Bridge and the Pont-tunnel Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine are also good options.

Police services will also be on-site during the work to help ease traffic, which will be difficult during these periods.

Weekend of October 3 to 6: Details about closures in the Champlain Corridor

Speed limit within the network reduced to 50 km/h.

A-15

• North Direction > COMPLETE CLOSURE
• South Shore Direction > 1 lane out of 2 open

Île des Sœurs Bridge

• North Direction > COMPLETE CLOSURE
• South Shore Direction > 2 lanes out of 3 open

Champlain Bridge

• Montréal Direction > COMPLETE CLOSURE
• South Shore Direction > 2 lanes out of 3 open

A-Bonaventure

• Downtown Montréal Direction > Service road open via Exit 2 from 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. and during the day two lanes open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Champlain Bridge Direction > 2 lanes out of 3 open during the day and 1 lane open out of 3 during the night (8 p.m. at 9 a.m.)

CLOSED access and exit ramps

• Access ramp from highway 132 East and West toward Montréal Closed
• Exit ramp for Exit 58 on the A-15 North to A-Bonaventure Closed
• Exit ramp for Exit 60 on the A-15 North to A-Bonaventure and Verdun Closed as of Friday morning at 10 a.m.

Important: lane width will be reduced to 3 metres during this period on the A-15 South between Wellington and île des Sœurs Bridge. Trucks that exceed this width are advised to use alternate routes.

View our presentation for more information about the access and exit ramps scheduled to close during the work and any detours that have been put in place.

Here are other tools to use:

• A map pointing out all open and closed access ramps 
• A map locating the other bridges 

For residents of Île des Sœurs

The details of each point of access for Île des Sœurs are as follows: 

Access to Île des Sœurs from:

• Champlain Bridge / A-15 North (Exit 57): CLOSED
• A-Bonaventure (Exit 5): OPEN
• A-15 South (Exit 57-N): CLOSED until October 20, 5 a.m. (detour by Exit 57-S)
• A-15 South (Exit 57-S): OPEN

From Île des Sœurs to:

• Champlain Bridge / A-15 South: OPEN
• A-Bonaventure: OPEN
• A-15 North: CLOSED until October 6, 5 a.m.

To see the REAL-TIME progress of this large-scale worksite, visit this webpage developed for the new bridge. A video of all the work carried out in the last 24 hours is also uploaded every day.

Follow the work progress on Twitter.

SOURCE: The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated

Jean-Vincent Lacroix, Director, Communications, Les Ponts Jacques Cartier et Champlain Incorporée (PJCCI), Office: 450 651-8771, ext. 232, Cell: 514 249-1940, [email protected]; Anne-Marie Braconnier, Advisor, Communications, Les Ponts Jacques Cartier et Champlain Incorporée (PJCCI), Office: 450 651-8771, ext. 465, Cell: 514 292-4493, [email protected]