Construction of a new bridge at kilometre 54 of Bois-Franc Road is tentatively due to start this week, according to an update posted to the MRC’s Facebook page for the TNO of Lac-Nilgaut.
According to the post, work is expected to begin the week of August 10 and take approximately two to three weeks to complete given the complexity of the project. The MRC said it will provide a further update once construction wraps up and the road reopens.
Detours and access during construction
The MRC is asking users not to park vehicles near the construction area for the duration of the work and to follow the designated detour route.
For anyone needing to reach the northern section of Bois-Franc Road, between kilometre 55 and kilometre 128, the official detour runs via Schyan Road from the municipality of Sheenboro, reconnecting with Bois-Franc Road at kilometre 86, near Forant Lake. The MRC notes that no fee is required to travel through ZEC St-Patrice when using the main road only.
Background
The need for a bridge traces back to a washout earlier this year. Heavy rain and melting snow caused a collapse measuring 20 metres (65 feet) wide and 10 metres (33 feet) deep at kilometre 54, rendering the road impassable.
Following the damage, Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests determined that a full bridge, rather than a simple culvert replacement, was required at the site, since the previous culvert no longer met environmental standards.
Bridge construction on Bois-Franc Road tentatively set to begin this week
Construction of a new bridge at kilometre 54 of Bois-Franc Road is tentatively due to start this week, according to an update posted to the MRC’s Facebook page for the TNO of Lac-Nilgaut.
According to the post, work is expected to begin the week of August 10 and take approximately two to three weeks to complete given the complexity of the project. The MRC said it will provide a further update once construction wraps up and the road reopens.
Detours and access during construction
The MRC is asking users not to park vehicles near the construction area for the duration of the work and to follow the designated detour route.
For anyone needing to reach the northern section of Bois-Franc Road, between kilometre 55 and kilometre 128, the official detour runs via Schyan Road from the municipality of Sheenboro, reconnecting with Bois-Franc Road at kilometre 86, near Forant Lake. The MRC notes that no fee is required to travel through ZEC St-Patrice when using the main road only.
Background
The need for a bridge traces back to a washout earlier this year. Heavy rain and melting snow caused a collapse measuring 20 metres (65 feet) wide and 10 metres (33 feet) deep at kilometre 54, rendering the road impassable.
Following the damage, Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests determined that a full bridge, rather than a simple culvert replacement, was required at the site, since the previous culvert no longer met environmental standards.
At the MRC Pontiac council of mayors meeting on June 18, territory director Jason Durand gave council an update on the project’s progress. A contractor, described as the lowest bidder, had been selected and was in the process of finalizing blueprints for the bridge. Those blueprints still needed to be submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests for review before work could proceed.
Durand flagged two factors that could affect the timeline: the availability of certain materials, including H-beams, and the construction industry’s standard summer shutdown during the last two weeks of July.
On funding, Durand told council the municipality’s contribution was expected to be roughly 10 percent of the total project cost, with the remainder subsidized by the province. As of the June meeting, the final confirmed provincial subsidy amount had not yet been announced.
With the announced start date now here, residents and outfitters who rely on Bois-Franc Road for access to the territory will be watching to see whether the project stays on track for a late-August or early-September completion.
Durand flagged two factors that could affect the timeline: the availability of certain materials, including H-beams, and the construction industry’s standard summer shutdown during the last two weeks of July.
On funding, Durand told council the municipality’s contribution was expected to be roughly 10 percent of the total project cost, with the remainder subsidized by the province. As of the June meeting, the final confirmed provincial subsidy amount had not yet been announced.
With the announced start date now here, residents and outfitters who rely on Bois-Franc Road for access to the territory will be watching to see whether the project stays on track for a late-August or early-September completion.
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