Bridge opens in Latchford, temporarily

Highway 11 re-opened to traffic today in Latchford, less than two weeks after the community's landmark bridge over the Montreal River failed.

Today's opening of a single-lane temporary bridge was three days earlier than originally promised by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

The following is from an announcement released today:

****************************************************************** Work on the temporary structure began soon after part of the Sergeant Aubrey Cosens Memorial Bridge experienced structural damage on January 14 and Highway 11 has been closed to northbound and southbound traffic at that location.

Crews have worked around the clock in extreme weather conditions to complete the construction of a single-lane temporary bridge over the Montreal River.

The new crossing is comprised of a 50-metre modular bridge and a 60-metre causeway.

Traffic signals have also been installed on both sides of the bridge. With the spring thaw, there will be a need to remove the temporary bridge and causeway to accommodate increased waterflow.

Therefore, the ministry is also planning to construct a longer, two-lane temporary modular bridge over the Montreal River.

The design work for this bridge has been completed. The Ministry of Transportation thanks the residents and businesses of Latchford and other affected communities for their patience and cooperation during this challenging time.

The ministry will continue to provide updates on the opening of the two-lane temporary bridge and the reopening of the permanent bridge.