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The Touzel Bridge, located on Route 138 on the north shore, will finally be able to reopen to light vehicle traffic on Thursday, after being closed for several days because of a crack.
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The office of Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault confirmed on Tuesday the date of the reopening of the structure, which spans the Sheldrake River in Rivière-au-Tonnerre.
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The bridge was closed suddenly last week after the discovery of a crack on one of the beams. Work has been carried out for the past few days to install reinforcement plates on the beam, Quebec said in a statement.
More plaques are to be put in place on the supporting elements on Wednesday.
This work will allow cars, sports-utility vehicles, minivans and motorcycles to pass over the bridge starting Thursday.
But heavier vehicles, such as buses and minibuses, agricultural vehicles, trailers and trucks with a net mass of more than 4500 kg, will have to wait a little longer.
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The minister’s office says further analysis and work are needed. The nature of the actions to be taken and the timetable for implementing them will be established over the next few days.
The complete closure of the bridge isolated the residents of Minganie, which has approximately 6,500 people in 10 communities on the Lower North Shore, along 300 kilometres of Route 138, while the region has been hit by forest fires.
Last week, the authorities suggested the population limit their consumption of goods and fuel to essential needs in order to ensure an equitable distribution of available resources.
Passing through Sept-Îles on Tuesday, Premier François Legault indicated that a pipe was recently installed to supply the region with gasoline, and that the army is helping to distribute food.
Guilbault’s office said “the air routes to supply the communities will remain in place as long as necessary.”
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