Legault responds to anger over bridge closing during St. Patrick’s Day weekend

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“My mom advised me that even in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue we will see lengthy traces, sadly.”

Revealed Mar 15, 2024  •  Final up to date 7 minutes in the past  •  2 minute learn

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Commenting on the scenario with the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge at a Montreal information convention Friday, Premier François Legault, who grew up in Ste-Anne-Bellevue, mentioned he understands the frustration being felt by motorists.

Many commuters and retailers are furious the principle connection to municipalities west of the island shall be closed this weekend throughout St. Patrick’s Day celebrations being held Saturday west of the island and the St. Patrick’s Parade Sunday in Montreal.

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“I nonetheless have my household in St-Lazare or in Ste-Anne,” Legault advised reporters Friday. “They speak to me about it. Sadly, you can not have an ideal resolution. The reconstruction of the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge ought to have been completed a very long time in the past.

“Sadly, through the reconstruction … it’s going to proceed bringing vital delays in getting across the island. My mom advised me that even in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue we will see lengthy traces, sadly.”

Site visitors on the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge has been both dramatically decreased or closed altogether for security causes since final fall after cracks had been detected on concrete assist beams.  Engineers have ordered the closing of a number of lanes to scale back weight on the ailing construction, resulting in visitors backups so long as three hours for commuters making an attempt to get on or off the island. On a number of weekends, the bridge has been utterly closed to permit for repairs, with commuters pressured to take the congested Freeway 20, or Freeway 30 that runs south of the island, in its place. A brand new bridge has been promised by the top of 2026.

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Quebec’s Transport ministry introduced Friday morning the tolls on Freeway 30 shall be free on the weekend. However the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge will stay closed.

Organizers of St. Patrick’s Day festivities in communities west of Montreal had been surprised by the last-minute announcement this week the span shall be blocked from Friday evening to Monday morning.

Not solely will it put a damper on individuals and spectators attending to the parade in Hudson on Saturday, Jay de la Durantaye, president of the Soulanges Irish Society that organizes the occasion, advised the Montreal Gazette the blockage can even impede the sizable off-island Irish and anglophone communities from going downtown for the Montreal parade on Sunday — except they wish to endure a monster visitors jam. The 2 occasions are meant to coincide so musicians, dignitaries and celebrants can take pleasure in each.

The parade is a large attract Montreal, the place greater than to 200,000 persons are anticipated to throng de Maisonneuve Blvd. on Sunday. However the St. Patrick’s Day celebration can be an enormous attraction within the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area. Hudson, inhabitants simply over 5,000, swells to many instances its dimension for the annual revelry. Based on de la Durantaye, the Sûreté du Québec estimated there have been 25,000 folks lining the city’s Fundamental St. final 12 months.

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