Mercier Bridge will be half-closed for next 2 months

Montreal commuters could face traffic headaches as major work on the Mercier Bridge starts on Friday and continues for two months.

Thousands of drivers use the bridge to go from Montreal to the South Shore every day.

Two of the four lanes one in each direction will be closed until Aug. 17.

ChteauguayMayor Nathalie Simon is concerned the traffic congestion triggered by therepairs will put astrain on residents in the area.

"It means [they'll have] to wake up earlier, waste time in traffic jams and pass lesstime with families," Simon told CBC Montreal's Daybreak on Friday.

Simon acknowledgedthat work on the MercierBridgeisnecessary,but said repairs underway on the ChamplainBridge will exacerbate the issue.

"We're paying right now for the lack of planningof the last 20 years," Simon said. "Everything has to be done at the same moment, it costs a lot of money, and we're not even sure that it's going to be enough."

The bridge corporationsays workers will spend day and night fixing the Mercierin order to replace a part of the deck, as well as paving and marking work.

During construction, the speed limit on the bridge will be 50 kilometres per hour.

As well, to try and make traffic smoother, trucks will not be allowed to drive to Montreal on the bridge between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., nor can they drive from Montreal on the bridge from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Vice-president of the Quebec Trucking Association, Pierre Aubin,says truck drivers will have to work more hours because of longer detours.

"We can go around Highway 30 but we're still going to be in a jam," he said onDaybreak.

"Instead of going five kilometres [in some cases], we'll be going 30, 35 kilometres if not more."

The access ramp fromChteauguayto Montreal will be closed, however the La Prairie ramp will be open and can work as a detour.