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Free public transit, truck ban to ease Mercier Bridge bottleneck? Minister, mayors in talks

The hellish traffic situation was aggravated this morning when a motorcycle accident closed the bridge at peak rush hour.

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Free public transit and the prohibition of freight trucks during peak hours are among the options being weighed by Quebec Transport Minister André Fortin to alleviate traffic pressure caused by repair work to the Mercier Bridge.

Fortin met with South Shore borough mayors Thursday morning to discuss solutions to the traffic backup.

Frustrated commuters are facing long delays because the span has been reduced to one lane in each direction until Aug. 20 to accommodate repair work.

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The hellish traffic situation worsened Thursday morning when a motorcycle accident closed the bridge at peak rush hour.

One person was injured when they lost control of their bike on the bridge, Transport Quebec said. Both lanes were closed just after 6 a.m. so emergency vehicles could attend to the scene. The lanes were reopened by 7 a.m. but by then, a lineup of vehicles trying to get onto the bridge extended for kilometres.  

Other bridges into the city were busier than usual Thursday as drivers from the South Shore tried to find alternative routes onto Montreal Island.

In its initial instruction to commuters, Transport Quebec said drivers should consider public transit as an alternative for getting around during the repair work. And it suggested avoiding the span at all costs.

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