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It was a harrowing morning commute Wednesday for drivers trying to get to Montreal from the South Shore after a sudden lane closure on the Honoré-Mercier Bridge.
Late Tuesday evening, Quebec’s Transport Ministry announced that the left lane for drivers heading towards Montreal will be closed indefinitely.
“During maintenance work, a crack was discovered on a steel beam,” said Louis-André Bertrand, a spokesperson for the ministry.
“Closing the lane will help reduce the load on the structure.”
The ministry describes it as a “preventative measure.”
Following further inspections overnight, a decision was made to maintain the indefinite closure of the single lane.
Bertrand explained it’s still safe to drive on the Mercier Bridge, despite the small crack in the steel beam, because of how weight is distributed across the structure.
The next step, he said, will be to determine what corrective measures are needed — only then will authorities have a better idea of how long the bridge closure will remain in effect.
By 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the closure was causing a 60-minute delay for motorists trying to make it onto the bridge.
The nearly 90-year-old structure is one of the major road links between Montreal and the South Shore.
“It is a catastrophic moment for Châteauguay residents, there’s no doubt,” said Châteauguay, Que., mayor Éric Allard in an interview on CBC’s Daybreak.
“It’s very bad for people trying to go to Montreal.”
Bertrand says an update on the repair could come later Wednesday.
In the meantime, the ministry is advising drivers in the area to budget more time than usual to get to their destination.