Traveling from Montreal to off-island communities has always been difficult, but for residents west of the city it’s nothing short of a nightmare.
but never ending construction Tourtes Island The bridge is worse than ever, with very few solutions in sight.
Vaudreuil resident Tanya Giuffrida travels back and forth west island Work and travel several times a week seem to make it worse.
“The journey from the source to my house took just over an hour yesterday and there were no accidents,” Giffrida said.
Jesse Kalsi, a resident of Sant Lazare, is also facing the same problem.
“It could be 45 minutes, it could be an hour, a half hour. We never know what to expect,” he said.
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They are not alone. A quick scan of any West Island Facebook group will prove that off-island mayors would agree.
Saint-Lazare mayor Geneviève Lachance said, “People are contacting me to tell me how terrible this is and they want me to do something about it.”
“Do some mitigation, and get buses,” said Vaudreuil Mayor Guy Pilon. “I don’t know. At least there’s a reserved lane.
The bridge has been reduced to two lanes in each direction since December 2022 for more emergency repairs and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
“I contacted my MNA, Marilyn Pickard, to ask her what she would be willing to do to resolve the issue,” Lachance said.
A meeting is underway with the MRC’s mayor, Transport Quebec and Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault, but that’s not enough for Pilon.
“It’s 2023, we don’t see any construction for the new bridge, this is nonsense. They have the plan, they have everything.
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Construction of a new bridge is scheduled to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2029. Transport Quebec will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to maintain the 50-year-old bridge during this time.
“How can we keep up for all these years? It’s unbelievable,” Lachance said.
Pilon said the city is serving as a voice for residents, but is encouraging everyone to speak up.
“Send letters, petitions and send, send, send. Don’t wait,” he said.
Proposed solutions include a reserved bus lane, better public transport and shuttles to take people over the lake.
In a statement to Global News, Solange’s MNA Marilyn Picard says, in French, she is aware of the difficult and frustrating situation.
“We will be adding a reserve bus and emergency lane in each direction in the coming weeks,” Picard says.
“There will be a heavy police presence to help ease traffic, especially on Autoroute 20 at Île-Perrot. Our teams are working hard to reopen the third lane in early February during peak hours.
He also said that plans for the construction of the new bridge are being finalized this year.
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