Our colleagues at the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada have provided details on the recent closure of the Ile-aux-Tourte bridge on Quebec highway 40, which is the main trucking route onto the island of Montreal from Ontario.

The Ile-aux-Tourte bridge was closed by the Quebec Ministry of Transport several days ago due to major structural defects on the bridge. Data from 2019 indicates that approximately 87,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily and about 12% of these vehicles are heavy duty trucks.

The bridge was commissioned in 1965 and, due to its condition will eventually be replaced by a new bridge just to the north of the current bridge.

In the short term, the Quebec Transport Minister has announced the repair process that will begin immediately allowing a partial reopening of the bridge beginning on May 31.

The anticipated reopening of traffic lanes on the bridge is as follows.

  • May 31: one lane in each direction
  • June 7: two lanes in the peak direction during the peak period
  • June 14: two lanes in each direction
  • June 21: three lanes each direction (full capacity)

The map can be accessed by clicking here.