On November 28, Brownsburg-Chatham Mayor Kévin Maurice had some strong words for the Ministère des Transports et Mobilité durable Québec after learning that Pont Henri-Raby will be forcibly closed on December 31, 2024. For more than ten years, Brownsburg-Chatham had been approaching the ministry to obtain solutions for the crumbling bridge in the centre of the community.
“We are now faced with a situation where it is impossible to dispute the priority given to the safety of our citizens. Despite our repeated efforts and our constant efforts toward the ministry, the closure of the bridge remains inevitable,” Mayor Maurice stated.
At a meeting with the ministry in April, it was assured that there would be no closure of the bridge in the short, medium, or long term. Recent news given from the ministry on November 26 demonstrates a reversal of these assurances.
“The bridge’s closure will have a considerable impact on our citizens and road users. It marks a difficult turning point for our community for a bridge which is located in the very centre of our territory,” he continued.
“The income of local businesses, modification of school bus routes, a general disruption of traffic, and a reorganization of snow removal and waste collection” will be impacted by the forced detour from the heart of town.
The exact duration of the bridge closure is unknown at this time.
“We call on the provincial authorities to quickly provide us with clear information on the timetable for short, medium, and long-term solutions. We strongly invite the population and the citizens to formulate complaints and concerns directly to Ministère des Transports et Mobilité durable Québec in order to make their voices heard in this matter.”
The Ministère des Transports et Mobilité durable Québec can be reached by dialling 511, option 4.
A detour route will be made available to citizens through municipal communications on the Brownsburg-Chatham website in the coming days: https://brownsburgchatham.ca.
