CTV News Montreal

Updated: Fri Jan. 27 2012 1:34:24 PM

ctvmontreal.ca

MONTREAL — The Mercier Bridge is undergoing construction this weekend, and because of winter weather, traffic will be limited to one direction at a time.

In December the Bridge Corporation had to close the western span, but strong winds threatened to move pylons placed in the centre of the bridge to separate traffic.

As a result the group overseeing construction came up with a plan that will see traffic flow alternate, with cars being able to come into Montreal for part of the day, and go to the South Shore at other times.

The traffic flow changes kick off at 10 a.m. Friday and will continue until 5 a.m. Monday.

Traffic on the Mercier

Friday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m.: Two lanes open Southbound. No traffic to Montreal.

Saturday, Jan. 28, 5 a.m.: Two lanes open toward Montreal. No traffic to the South Shore.

Saturday, Jan. 28, 3 p.m: Two lanes open Southbound, No traffic to Montreal.

Sunday, Jan. 29, 5 a.m.: Two lanes open toward Montreal. No traffic to the South Shore.

Sunday, Jan. 29, 3 p.m.: Two lanes open to South Shore. No traffic to Montreal.

The construction should wrap up by 5 a.m. Monday, at which point two lanes will be opened in each direction.

Jacques Cartier Construction

The underside of the Jacques Cartier Bridge will also undergo repair this weekend.

As a result traffic will be limited, but not eliminated, over the next few days.

Between 10 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Saturday, only one lane will be open in each direction.

From 5 a.m. Saturday until midnight Sunday drivers can use two lanes each way.

From midnight Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday only one lane will be open each way, and again from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Drivers worried about traffic delays should take the Champlain Bridge or the Lafontaine Tunnel.

Comments are now closed for this story

Allie
In responce to this....
Susie-Q Mtl.
I have a solution:-Forget about the Mercier Bridge. Take highway 20 all the way to St. Anne de B. & then use that bridge. Then come by that highway to Chateguay. Or you can use the train. it goes over the river. The train bridge is just down from the M. bridge. It seems to be in great shape. Who built it? Get them to build or fix the M. bridge. How are the buses going to handle this mess? I can see angry people at Angrignon metro-Where's my bus? Do they go down town? What a mess.

The trains don't run on the candiac in or out on the weekends. Check your facts before giving a *solution* as you call it. Plus going through valleyfield is extremely long and out of the way, by the time you get through there you might as well have sat in traffic for another bridge.

Susie-Q Mtl.
The more i look at this the more i realize we need new bridges every where. Every thing is falling apart here roads overpasses, buildings, train bridges etc. This Prov. is one great big huge mess. Health care, the economy etc. If students can't find jobs-How are they supposed to pay the increase? Mabe is leaving. How did we end up in this mess? What else is going on in this Prov? CTV will be on top of it for sure. We must inform them as well.How can we fix this? This Prov. needs help. Bye.

Susie-Q Mtl.
Some thing is bugging me-If we are rebuilding Champlain B. then why not the Mercier? Find out who built the train bridge & hire them. I'm sure they'd do a good job. I like bus detours on the Island of Mtl. only. Years ago I got stranded at St Bruno. Took the train & couldn't get back. Police drove me to Atwater. How embarrassing. I would use Mtl. W. or La Salle to reach South Shore if i lived there. I love old houses. Lake shore drive has plenty. I'm 61. I work 2 days a week for 1 1/2 hrs.

irma1957
Yup, great job Transport Quebec. Laches-pas as they say. Maybe a better solution would be to just close the whole province.

Ross
This does not surprise most folks out there that drive to work the Quebec Government likes to confuse everyone and send them on long detours which sometimes are not worth doing them. It's time the Government wakes up and listens to the drivers out there. This also applies to the Mayor of Montreal.

Brian
@Susie-Q Mtl
I do mind having to take a long detour as what you have stated and that's not feasible. Weren't you the one who posted that you don't mind bus detours? lol A lot of us are in a rush and don't have the time like you do.

Use the train? Did you take a look at the schedule and where the stations are located?

Yes I agree with you that this thing is a mess!

Adele
Tremblay better watch his back...between the road closures and metro breakdowns, he's in a very bad place...but I'm sure he'll find a way to talk himself out of it...as usual with his "quality of life" garbage..

Me
The embarassment continues.

Quebec will always be the red headed stepchild of Canada. Out of control and running things while wearing ear plugs and horse blinders.

This whole business is like giving Lego blocks to a 4 year old and asking them to build something.

After living so many years in a corrupt society, one has to take actions...time to relocate!

davefromddo
Let's do as the Americans do: leave road infrastructure in the hands of the defense department. I'm sure Peter McKay would want to ensure pristine roads and bridges when utilizing military tanks to get between meetings...

Dom
This is ridiculous... Before you leave the house at anytime of the day, every individual has to carefully scan the quebec 511 website or fear sitting in obscene amounts of traffic.

Susie-Q Mtl.
I have a solution:-Forget about the Mercier Bridge. Take highway 20 all the way to St. Anne de B. & then use that bridge. Then come by that highway to Chateguay. Or you can use the train. it goes over the river. The train bridge is just down from the M. bridge. It seems to be in great shape. Who built it? Get them to build or fix the M. bridge. How are the buses going to handle this mess? I can see angry people at Angrignon metro-Where's my bus? Do they go down town? What a mess.

Angloman
This is all Lucien Bouchard's fault! Dorks in teh PQ all worried about balancing the budget and good governance afer Parichidiot lost the referendum did it by getting rid of doctors (whoopsie!) and by doing the standard management practice of ignoring maintenance because 'just one year won't hurt' and 'one more year without won't hurt' -- and by the time Charest took power it had been that way so long all the stupid civil servants had forgotten htat we really, really need to do regular maintenance.

We are paying the price for the previous generation's mortgaging their future.

Michael Laborde
I'm surprised that a class action lawsuit hasn't been filed against the Quebec government for lack of maintenance and against the workers and government inspectors of the last repair for shoddy workmanship and lack of oversight.

Patrick O.
With all these closures and the fixing of our infrastructure that has been neglected, we the people should receive compensation in this matter. If we the people are neglected on many matters we are penalized and fined. So if the government is itself neglectful why can't we the people get something back for the inconvenience and the time and extra money is cost us.
TY.

billym
how transport quebec is still involved in configuring traffic flow after all the embarassment last summer is mindboggling