After two mild winters, drivers finally have another option if they want to cross the Ottawa River and avoid traffic on the Ile-aux-Tourtes bridge.
The ice bridge connecting Hudson and Oka opened for business Wednesday afternoon. Traverse Oka-Hudson owner Philippe Daignault said it took a lot of work to make it happen.
“It’s been 10 days non-stop, 16-hour days, always at night,” he said.
Crews drilled into the ice and used water canons to build the top layer.
According to Daignault, this week’s cold snap did the rest to reach the 40 centimetres of ice thickness needed to open the bridge.
He said the bridge should be able to handle twice as many crossings as they do by boat, which should allow them to recoup expenses after two mild winters prevented them from operating.
Driver Calvin Zachary said it’s worth paying $14 dollars to take the ice bridge, which shaves off a significant amount of commute time to get home.
“The other day, I came here, and it was closed, I took the bridge, and it took me two hours,” he said.
The two-kilometre-long stretch takes about four minutes at 15 kilometres per hour.
“If you go too fast, the wave will follow you, and then the ice can be stressed. So that’s why you have to go slower,” Daignault said.
Crews continually monitor road conditions and check for cracks in the ice.
For now, the bridge can accommodate vehicles that are 2500 kilograms or less.
Evergreen trees are used as road markers to keep drivers in their lane and safely distanced.
The bridge is open seven days a week, and if the weather holds, it should stay operational until mid-March.
