A bridge too far

BY RAFFY BOUDJIKANIAN

raffy.boudjikanian@transcontinental.ca

Senneville residents led the charge in raising questions to a Quebec Transport Ministry delegation Monday night during an information session on repairs on Galipeault Bridge linking Highway 20 to the off-island.

"Opening up the Morgan between (highways) 20 and 40 would ease the traffic, would allow people to move between 20 and 40, and alleviate the traffic on Anciens Combattants," said Peter Chenner, one of the town's residents, to much cheering from neighbours.

These concerns came on the heels of the ministry's explanation for contingency plans to alleviate traffic as construction begins on the Galipeault span in late May. "We'll be installing temporary traffic lights on the intersection of Ste. Anne/ Boulevard des Anciens Combattants," said Réal Grégoire, spokesperson for the Ministry.

After Senneville town councillor David Webster echoed Chenner's questions, the ministry's head engineer for the project, Claude Paquet, assured him that the ministry would meet with officials to discuss the idea.

The ministry hopes construction work will begin on the weekend of May 23, according to Grégoire. The bridge will never close down quite completely to traffic, except at night and on weekends. Rather, traffic from the eastbound bridge will be transferred to the westbound one until May of next year.

"During the morning rush hour, two lanes will be directed toward Montreal. It will be the opposite in the afternoon, with two westbound lanes and only one toward Montreal," explained Paquet.

Other contingency plans by the ministry include cooperation with the AMT (Agence Métropolitaine de transport) to encourage the use of public transport. About 450 parking spots will be added to off-island train stations such as Vaudreuil, Pincourt and Terrace-Vaudreuil.

"We would also encourage you to use carpooling, when it's possible, and take the Highway 40 over the 20, when it's possible," said Grégoire.

However, some present at the meeting remained dissatisfied with the presented solutions. "What about motivating people to take the 40 from Île des Tourtes Bridges?" Questioned Île Perrot resident Lise Girard.

"People will not go to Vaudreuil to take the 40," said Pincourt resident Denise Lanctot, adding it recently took her 45 minutes only to travel 10 kilometres in that area on a congested day.

Paquet suggested traffic would be alleviated anyway because people coming from further west might take the 40 rather than the 20.

According to the ministry, the Ste. Anne de Bellevue exit on Highway 20 east will also be closed for three months as of September 2008 in order to allow construction work to widen it.

The Ministry plans to update concerned residents through promotional flyers, public notices and its website, www.mtq.gouv.ca.