The provincial ministry recently announced the continuation of work on the Brochets River bridge, at Pike River, as part of the vast extension of Highway 35 that connects Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to the American border. This phase of the construction project will continue until the end of October.
Boaters must deal with obstructions on the waterway located in the work zone. The MTQ makes a 12-meter navigation corridor accessible at all times except during occasional complete closures of a few hours, on weekdays, between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. The vertical clearance (air draft) under the deck is 5.1 meters.
Work is progressing at a good pace, but there are some delays. It should be noted that construction of the third phase began in August 2020 and was scheduled to end in the fall of 2023, but the schedule was reassessed due to “a problem with the supply of steel beams” to complete construction of the bridge over the Brochets River.
A prolonged extension…
Given the delay in manufacturing and delivery of the beams, the commissioning of this phase is now scheduled for fall 2025. At this time, the last two branches of the roundabout (already partially in service since July 2023) will also be open . In the meantime, road users continue to use Route 133.
A crane installs a steel beam for the construction of the future Brochets River bridge in the Pike River sector. (Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility)
“The third phase of the highway will only be possible when the bridge spanning the Brochets River is completed. Currently, approximately 60% of the beams have been installed,” says Karine Abdel, spokesperson for the MTQ.
In an email, the latter indicates that “the remaining beams will be produced, delivered and installed by the end of the year.” In 2025, the finalization work on the bridge will be carried out (deck, asphalting, marking, installation of safety barriers and installation of signage). The provincial ministry estimates that it will take “several months” for this last step.
In addition to the construction of the bridge, the final asphalting and signage of Highway 35 will be completed this year, as will the environmental compensation plan. The latter concerns fish habitat, wetlands, reforestation and redevelopment of agricultural land in the sector.
A partial closure of Route 133 will be required for a few weeks during the summer of 2024. This will allow “the road to be paved under the Champlain Road overpass.”
In the field
In Saint-Armand, the mayor says she is well aware of the information related to the work in the sector. Her most recent discussions with the MTQ date back to last spring. They concern in particular the new deadlines, the upcoming steps and the constraints.
Caroline Rosetti, mayor of Saint-Armand (Catherine Trudeau/La Voix de l’Est)
“For the moment, our sector has not undergone too many changes, since Route 133 is already developed a bit like a highway. However, in the event of a lane closure, the situation could be more complex,” explains Caroline Rosetti in an interview with The Voice of the East.
Municipal officials have already raised the flag in the face of traffic congestion. It must be said that Route 133 represents a major crossroads for people wishing to cross the border. For the surrounding communities, the next week represents “a small test” in terms of traffic with the Canadian and American national holidays.
“We could be wrong, but we believe that the number of people passing through the sector is underestimated. There are critical times, particularly during national holidays and construction vacations. Overall, customs is always quite busy on summer weekends. If we close partially, it could clog up the exits in our community,” says Rosetti.
The citizens of Saint-Armand have adapted well to the present situation, judges the elected official. Ultimately, we hope that the presence of the new motorway could bring investors to the sector. Of course, the section improved traffic flow.
“We are a small community with one business. Would the completion have consequences on our local traffic? I am not convinced. On the other hand, we are certain that the project once completed will improve road traffic.”
A pharaonic construction site
Let us recall that the construction of Highway 35 is divided into four phases. Phases I and II (between Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Sébastien) have been in service since 2014. The cost of the work is $244.7 million, and the Government of Canada contributed $44 million of this amount.
(Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility)
For its part, the overall cost for carrying out phase III is 222.9 million, which includes a financial contribution of 82.1 million from the federal government.
Phase IV is currently in planning. The cost and timeline for completion will be determined once all related studies are completed. It was confirmed that the Government of Canada has committed to investing $13 million through the Border Infrastructure Fund.
Asked about this, the Ministry of Transport was not able to confirm a date for the final schedule for the motorway extension.
