There are renewed calls to replace the Mercier bridge as several South Shore mayors say they’re frustrated with the constant patch-up work. Emergency repair work is scheduled for this weekend after a crack in a steel beam forced the closure of a Montreal-bound lane on Tuesday. One lane in each direction remains open while the work is being done. Transportation planning expert Pierre Barrieau says these fixes can only go so far. “Every time we find new problems, we’re just getting closer and closer to that break even point,” he said in an interview. The bridge dates back to 1934, and after decades of repairs, pressure is growing to replace it. Châteauguay’s mayor says enough is enough. “It’s horrible. There’s holes in the beams. There’s rust everywhere. That bridge is not in good health,” said Mayor Éric Allard. “It’s time to think, to build something else, build another bridge. We have to stop at one point to throw money there. And I know that building a new bridge is not going to happen tomorrow morning, but the decision has to be taken.” Some drivers say the problem goes far beyond the Mercier Bridge. “All the infrastructure and the roads in Quebec — we pay enough taxes that they should look better than that ... and the Pont Mercier is not an exception,” said Montrealer Ian Picard. “We have horrible roads and people suffer consequences because of that,” said resident Stuart Lutterman. “I don’t know what they’re doing, but they need to do something a little bit different than they have for the past 20 years.” For Kahnawake Chief Arnold Boyer, safety is the priority. “We have children going to school across the bridge and it’s always a concern to us. We’re always concerned about our community members crossing,” he said. Transport Quebec says the bridge remains safe, noting that visible wear doesn’t necessarily reflect its structural condition. But Barrieau says repairs won’t cut it. “That doesn’t fix the underlying problem of an aging structure that’s at the end of its useful life that needs replacement,” the transportation planning expert said. As the debate over the bridge continues, drivers are the ones paying the price.
