The project, which has been on the table for a year and a half, will finally see the light of day and there is a certain excitement in the air, according to Sylvie Beauregard, mayor of Cowansville.
“There are people who will take their turn, we have good comments. It’s a project that we’ve had on the drawing board for over a year and a half, so it’s certain that people are waiting for it,” notes Ms. Beauregard.
Remember that in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport (MTQ), the decision was made not to rebuild a new bridge, but to create a footbridge for cyclists and pedestrians only.
The Hillcrest bridge had been declared “end of life” by the MTQ and according to expert analyses, it would have been too expensive to rebuild it, given the automobile traffic in this sector.
“There are inspection reports which are carried out and the experts then establish that a structure has reached the end of its life. Then there are decisions that are made in relation to either repair or reconstruction or demolition and conversion to something else. In this case, the repairs were not sufficient and the decision was made in agreement with the City of Cowansville that it would be a cycle-pedestrian bridge,” explains Jeanne Séguin-Laflamme, spokesperson for the general management of Estrie of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
“It was a plus for us [la création de la passerelle] This allows us to continue our active corridor circuit in the municipality and to go around the lake,” indicates Ms. Beauregard.
Tranquility
Citizens who live near the new footbridge would be happy to no longer experience the chaos of traffic in the morning and at the end of the day, according to Ms. Beauregard.
“People are very happy, I even met a citizen recently who said to me: ‘finally I can sit outside and hear the birds!’”
— Sylvie Beauregard, mayor of Cowansville
The houses located at the start of Hillcrest Street are close to the roadway, so the absence of cars on this new footbridge will give them a little more peace of mind, believes the mayor of Cowansville.
“Me personally, I have already been overtaken on the bridge because people are in such a hurry! We had several complaints about speed, so it’s sure to make the residential sector safer,” adds Ms. Beauregard.
No increase in accidents
Following the demolition of the Hillcrest Bridge, motorists in the Cowansville region had to instead use the new roundabout at the intersections of Route 104 and 241. To date, the Ministry of Transport has not noted an increase in the number of accidents in recent months.
“The roundabout ensures greater safety for motorists and greater fluidity,” says Ms. Séguin-Laflamme.
“I have not been aware of and have not been informed of an accident at the roundabout”
— Jeanne Séguin-Laflamme, spokesperson for the Estrie general directorate of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
The Carrefour roundabout is located 1.6 kilometers from the new cycle-pedestrian bridge and Ms. Beauregard agrees with Ms. Séguin-Laflamme regarding ease of access.
“It’s going very well by the way, here too I have very positive comments, it’s fluid now and easier to access the 139. I think it’s positive everywhere!” concludes Mayor Beauregard.
