Honoré Mercier Bridge (federal section): BLITZ extended by one week, until Monday, August 19 at 5 a.m.

LONGUEUIL, QC, Aug. 8, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) would like to advise road users that the major work BLITZ on the Honoré Mercier Bridge will be extended by one week, until Monday, August 19, at 5 a.m.

Traffic will continue to be reduced to a single lane per direction during this period and road users are encouraged to avoid the Mercier Bridge and keep up their new transportation habits for an additional week.

Trucks will once again be prohibited on the bridge towards Montreal during morning rush hour from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., from Monday to Friday.

The intensive work on the Mercier Bridge has progressed significantly and it should now be possible to complete all planned work on the Île Maline section towards Montreal (downriver bridge) and avoid nearly one month and a half of night and weekend closures on this section of the bridge.

Continuing the momentum to complete a major portion of the work

The initial plan was to continue installing the slabs during nights and weekends on the east side (downriver bridge) after the BLITZ. Currently, all slabs on the Île Maline section towards Montreal (downriver bridge) have been installed, which represents some 116 slabs weighing approximately 35 tons each. The work BLITZ is therefore ahead of schedule in relation to the initial plan.

Post-tensioning of the spans, concreting between slabs, and installing expansion joints have already begun and are practically completed. By completing the work ahead of schedule, the contractor now has the opportunity to fully complete this section of the east side (downriver bridge) by extending the BLITZ of one week.

The additional week will make it possible to complete this major portion of work before the start of the school year and avoid making road users drive for several weeks over transitions (speed humps) planned around the expansion joints.

The Corporation would like to continue this momentum to complete everything—rather than spread out work on the east side—while continuing to take advantage of the summer period, when traffic is less heavy and the other bridges still have available additional capacity.

Public transit, the other South Shore bridges and the new A-30 are strongly recommended alternatives during this period.

To follow our work, we invite you to visit www.mercierbridge.ca.

SOURCE: The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated

Jean-Vincent Lacroix 
Director, Communications
The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI)
Office: 450 651-8771, ext. 232
Cell: 514 249-1940
[email protected]

André Girard
Vice-President, Communications
The Federal Bridge Corporation
Tel.: [phone]
[email protected]