The bridge connecting chemin Walker and chemin La Prairie remains closed as Grenville-sur-la-Rouge residents continue to voice concerns to both Council and the Ministère des transports de Québec (MTQ). Accessibility and emergency response have been cited as the main concerns.
A petition with approximately 200 signatures was started in 2022, with Council passing a resolution in May 2024 calling for expedited government action.
“The closure of the bridge forces many residents and their visitors to take a circuitous route to reach their homes,” the resolution outlined.
The bridge that passes over Rivière Rouge was constructed in 1956 and suffered significant damage from flooding in 2019. It has been closed since then with little in terms of updates coming from the MTQ.
The MTQ previously stated that the bridge was not included in their short or medium-term planning, citing that a detour route is available and that no citizen is landlocked due to the ongoing closure of the bridge. The next bridge evaluation by the ministry is expected to take place sometime in 2025.
As bridges on municipal roads in Québec are under provincial responsibility, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge Council has its hands tied on refurbishment or replacement projects.
Concerned residents such as Philippe Langlois have been pressuring Council to push for an accelerated and safe resolution.
“This is a double-edged sword: the first part is this is a very small bridge, but, at the same time, the province is saying, ‘there are other roads, people still have reliable access.’ However, let’s say a tree falls across the detour route, many people will be unable to leave the area or access help.”
Langlois also emphasized that such delays in emergency response can result in the loss of property or life.
It remains to be seen whether the collective efforts of the council and residents will result in a quicker response by the MTQ.
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