Truck drivers going southbound on Montreal’s largest bridge may experience longer than usual wait times due to construction and lane closure.
One of three southbound lanes was closed on Tuesday after authorities discovered a two-millimeter wide crack on one of the girders supporting the Champlain Bridge.
"We analyzed the situation to see what capacity this beam still has. It is beneficial to stay on the safe side, and as such keep the lane closed until we start the repairs," Steve Tselios, senior engineer for the Jacques Carter and Champlain Bridges Corporation told the CBC.
Construction crews will have to work 24 hours every day, for a month in order to fix the crack in the girder’s concrete.
Tselios said the adjacent beans are in good condition, but authorities expect the lengthy emergency closing will cause gridlock during rush-hour traffic.
Officials estimate the bridge is used by approximately 160,000 vehicles, including 10,000 trucks daily.
