The City of Montreal has closed a key access route to Highway 13 for West Island residents indefinitely.
Many West Island residents are frustrated after an inspection revealed worrying cracks on the Pitfield Bridge, with two local mayors slamming the city's handling of the matter.
“I was going to Rawal today but I just saw that it’s closed, so, I don’t know what to do,” said driver Sonnyo Singh.
His experience has happened countless times since the road was closed. Driving east on Gouin, Singh signaled to turn right onto the Pitfield Bridge toward Highway 13 and suddenly realized he couldn't take his usual route. Carlos Soto was in the same situation.
“I'm very frustrated. I'm very disappointed with this government,” the driver said. He wasn't the only one to curse or gesture animatedly at his steering wheel after discovering the closure.
The twin bridges connect Gouin Boulevard to Henry Bourassa, allowing people to access Highway 13 from the north end of the island.
The city announced Friday night that the two 50-year-old buildings would be closed indefinitely due to worsening cracks.
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“There are more cracks than before, and they are bigger and longer,” explained Philippe Sabourin, a spokesman for the City of Montreal.
Sabourin said all city-run bridges are inspected annually, but detailed inspections are done every four years, when the problem was discovered.
Officials initially closed just one lane on each bridge to ease the load, but ultimately decided to close the bridges completely.
“It’s always better to be cautious,” Sabourin said.
He said the closure will last at least a week as the team collects samples and assesses the true condition of the infrastructure.
“It's just chaos,” said Pierrefonds-Roxborough Mayor Jim Bess, adding that it will make it harder for residents in his area to travel downtown and to Laval. He was frustrated because he learned about the closures at the last minute from the city of Montreal.
“I hope they know what they are doing, but we only have to go to Montreal to see what a mess we are facing in terms of infrastructure work because it is poorly coordinated,” Bess said.
Complicating the situation is the fact that there are several other construction sites in the area and Sabourin admitted the closure would make for a “tough ride” for residents.
The city recommends people travel west on Gouin, then take Sunnybrooke through Dollard des Ormeaux (DDO) to Highway 40 and take the No. 13 bus from there.
“I think it’s going to be a disaster,” said DDO Mayor Alex Bottausci.
Bottassi was furious because he said he had no advance notice that thousands of cars would be passing through his suburb and was worried about what would happen during rush hour.
“It's total disrespect from the city of Montreal. You know, if you need a road from me, work with us,” he said, accusing city leadership of “ignoring and disrespecting” the West Island.
People who use the ramp hope that at least that “indefinite” tag will be removed soon so they know when they can resume their normal commute.
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