Mattawa residents and travellers along Highway 533 still face a few more months of alternating one-lane traffic on the Pont Mauril Belanger Bridge but officials say the finish line is in sight.

Town of Mattawa Interim CAO Francine Desormeau confirms the final stage of the project to repair the essential infrastructure damaged by the spring 2019 flooding of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers will get underway within one week, with a “substantial completion date of November 13th.”

The bridge connects Mattawa’s downtown to Highway 533 and was renamed in honour of the late Mauril Belanger, former area MP and spans the confluence of the Ottawa and Mattawa rivers.

In late July, after a tender process, Mattawa Council awarded the reconstruction project to MTM-2 Contracting Inc. from Milton, Ont., in the amount of $1,095,160. It was the lowest of two bids. In May, Council awarded a survey contract via Dillon Consulting to monitor the bridge for six to 12 weeks and the firm also reviewed both tenders and provided comments to Council.

What should Mattawa residents expect from now until fall?

The project “is anticipated to have very limited bridge closures during construction. The contractor is to schedule operations in such a manner as to cause the least interference to vehicular and pedestrian traffic,” says Desormeau. 

Once construction begins, the bridge will remain at one lane and alternating traffic lights will remain in place during construction. Sufficient warning to the public and emergency personnel will be provided if the need arises to completely close the bridge.

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