The Galipeault Conundrum

The provincial government is investing $98 million in the Galipeault Bridge, which links Ste. Anne de Bellevue and Ile Perrot by Highway 20, and it’s about time. Anyone who uses the bridge regularly knows the sidewalks are crumbling and the bridge tends to move subtly in extreme weather. It will be a complete reconstruction of the span, and reaction has thus far been mostly positive.

On the other hand, what got lost in the government’s excitement to make the announcement was the fact the bridge will have to be closed for an as-yet-undetermined amount of time. Couple that with fast-growing populations in the off-island area, and you’ve got a recipe for a fairly hairy couple of years in terms of commuting. With a combined total population of nearly 30,000 commuters who work on the island and live off-island are going to have to drive to Vaudreuil-Dorion and get up to Highway 40 in order to make their way onto the island, and there’s no indication from Transport Quebec one way or the other as to when the bridge is expected to be closed, or for how long.

That’s a problem. The Transport Ministry has its heart in the right place — the new focus on overpass and bridge integrity in the province comes not a moment too soon — but it’s still flying by the seat of its pants when it comes to planning. The government serves to answer the needs of its citizens, and in this case, no one has. The side streets of Vaudreuil-Dorion will not be able to handle the volume of traffic coming its way when that span is closed to traffic. Another group whose needs have not been considered are off-island students at Macdonald High School in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, who will now have to be bussed or find their own way to school every day — and add 40 minutes to their commute — minimum.

One group of people enthused about the project is the Ste. Anne de Bellevue city council, whose mayor, Bill Tierney, said the biggest challenge for municipal officials is disseminating information about the bridge, the project and the closure.

With all due respect, we’d say that’s the least of Mr. Tierney’s problems. The least of many off-island residents’ problems is getting to and from work, school, sports or volunteering. It’s going to mean horrendous traffic and might actually help businesses in Ile Perrot, encouraging its residents not to leave the area to shop.

Problem is, there is as yet, very little information, as is often the case with provincial projects. With few concrete plans in place, it’s going to be hard to keep a handle on costs. Two words for you: Laval. Metro. That $98 million budget could shoot up in a hurry.

If that’s the case, you can expect that any goodwill the government had built up by reconstructing the crumbling monolith will evaporate in a hurry.ꆱ