Defective beam on Pont de Qubec means partial closure

Transport Quebec has determined that a beam on the Pont deQubec is damaged,representing a risk for those using it, and have closed one of its lanes until August27.

The beam supporting the deck of the bridge was last inspected in May, and is now in a worse state than it was, a Transport Quebec official said.

"The department closed the lane to reduce some of the load it must support," said Mila Roy of Transport Quebec.

The roadway across the bridge is three lanes wide, meaning northbound and southbound traffic will continue but with only two lanes.

That means Transport Quebec will no longer have the flexibility to designate two lanes for traffic flowing in or out of the capital atpeak times.

Between now and the end of August, the department will put in place a temporary structure for the replacement of the beam, Roy said.

"If our estimates are correct, we plan to reopen the lane on August27, allowing a startto the regular traffic flow in time for the return to school," she explained.

Completed in 1917, the Quebec Bridge supports a Canadian National Railway line, as well as threelanes for vehicles.

CN media spokesman Jonathan Abecassissaid the problem only affects the roadway, but that CN is co-operating with Transport Quebec in its repair work.

The City of Quebec, which considers the cantilever bridge part of its heritage and a tourist attraction, is involved in an ongoing dispute with CN over repainting the structure.

Abecassissaid the bridge is inspected regularly, the railway has a regular maintenance program,and that that in spite of visible rust, the bridge remains safe.

With files from Radio-Canada