On Monday, August 8 the citizens of Dewittville who joined the local Hinchinbrooke council meeting to seek information concerning the Dewittville Bridge were met with more questions than answers. The hundred-year-old bridge, which is a critical transport link for local farmers, businesses and residents, has been closed since St Jean Baptiste weekend.
Locals expressed concern that repair efforts have been slow and sporadic. Village residents have had their mail delivery service disrupted, and local tourism has been stunted. Dewittville and the bridge crossing is part of the popular « Circuit de Paysan,” which draws hundreds of cyclists and other visitors to the Montérégie region each season. Robert Anderson, owner of Planète Terroir, a restaurant on the south side of the river, has been acutely aware of the lack of tourists. “On a personal business note, our restaurant has suspended weekend lunch services due to lack of through traffic,” he says. “But we are just one of many who have been significantly effected by this sudden action by Transport Quebec.” Another local family had to change plans for a family wedding venue because they couldn’t walk to their other property across the river.
When contacted by The Gleaner, Transport Quebec was initially unaware that the bridge had been closed to cyclists and pedestrians. Upon further investigation into the situation, Josée Séguin (Conseillère en communication, Direction de la Montérégie) commented the following:
“The bridge will remain closed until the repairs are finalized. We cannot confirm the end date of the repairs since the analysis is ongoing. While carrying out the work of stabilizing the foundation units, some of the original stones (1913) from the front wall detached, leaving a portion of the foundation exposed (the base of the bridge which is emerged in water). The Ministry conducted a temporary stabilization of the stones. We are currently evaluating the best intervention given the circumstances. The hundred-year-old bridge was built in 1913.”
Like Transport Quebec, residents of the area are equally concerned that the bridge, which itself is an important example of rural bridge architecture, should be preserved and protected. For the moment, locals can hope that reconstruction happens both swiftly and with care.
