Montreal corridor needs ‘lung’ transplant

MONTREAL — Want to make trips through Montreal safer and faster? Click here.

By doing so, you will be joining an online petition asking the Federal government for a new Champlain Bridge.

It’ll take less than 30 seconds to add your name. And never mind that the petition’s in French. Where it says courriel — that’s where your email address goes.

A new bridge is overdue, proponent say. The Champlain, which joins the Island to the South Shore, was built in 1962. According to media reports, several studies have shown the bridge to be “on its last legs.”

It’s also Canada’s busiest bridge, a vital truck transport link that accommodates about 60 million vehicles a year.

Martin Fortier, the man spearheading the coalition behind the petition, calls the bridge the “region’s economic lung.”

Stephen Harper has pledged $158 million to fix up the existing structure.

Ignatieff says a Liberal Government would replace the old one.

Either way, Quebecers are fed up with the status quo and a group of business leaders and politicos including Fortier are beseeching the Feds for action now.

Fortier tells the CBC: "The urgency to act is connected to businesses that depend directly on the Champlain Bridge. Especially distribution centres on either side of the river and the trucking industry."