Reminder - Honoré Mercier Bridge: To be avoided over this weekend - One lane
will be open in each direction on the downstream part of the bridge +
Champlain Bridge: Overnight closure of 2 out of 3 lanes towards Montreal from
Friday night to Saturday morning

LONGUEUIL, QC, July 15 /CNW Telbec/ - The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) and the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) wish to inform the public that the upstream part of the Honoré Mercier Bridge, which allows access to the South Shore (Route 138-West), will be completely closed to traffic on July 16-19, July 23-26, and August 6-9. Note that this Friday, July 16 the bridge will close earlier than expected, at 10 PM until Monday, July 19 at 5 AM. For the following two weekends the closure will begin at 11:59 PM.

We would like to remind you that, due to necessary work, we must close two out of three lanes on the Champlain Bridge, towards Montreal, this Friday, July 16 at 11 PM until Saturday, July 17, at 8 AM. One lane will close starting at 8 PM. This closure is in accordance with the announced weekend closures for the Honoré Mercier Bridge. We ask that you avoid driving in these areas (Mercier and Champlain Bridges) during this period. You are encouraged to take the Victoria or Jacques Cartier Bridges during Friday night to Saturday. These options, although slightly remote from the Mercier Bridge, prove as a good choice to avoid traffic.

No other closure for the Champlain Bridge is scheduled this weekend.

We try to minimize the possibility of having construction on both the Champlain and Mercier Bridge at the same time; however, in this case a joint had broken in recent days. This necessary work was obviously unknown at the time the summer schedule was created.

Details on Mercier Bridge Closure

We would also like to clarify that the Airlie ramp, which allows access to the Mercier Bridge towards the South Shore from Airlie Street, will be closed during the construction period.

Traffic on the Mercier Bridge itself will be re-directed to one lane in each direction on the downstream part of the bridge (Route 138-East) for all three weekends. The flow of traffic will be very slow during these three weekends, and motorists are encouraged to avoid the Honoré Mercier Bridge during this period.

These closures allow for important repairs of the deck to be made, as well as the reinforcement of the steel structure of the upstream part of the bridge, which is the section that, under normal circumstances, leads towards the South Shore.

For more information, or to follow the progress of our work, please visit the project blog at www.mercierbridge.ca and www.champlainbridge.ca.

For further information: Jean-Vincent Lacroix, Chief, Communications, The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), Tel.: [phone] ext. 232, Cellular: 514 249-1940, [email protected]; Émilie Thibault, AGC Communications, Tel.: [phone] ext. 231, Cellular: 514 825-7365, [email protected]; Source: André Girard, Vice-President, Communications, The Federal Bridge Corporation, Tel.: [phone], [email protected]