The Town of Mattawa, Ontario, has started a Detailed Structural Review and a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for the Mauril Bélanger Bridge to determine whether the structure should be rehabilitated or completely replaced. The bridge carries Main Street traffic across the Mattawa River and serves as a Connecting Link to provincial Highway 533.
The bridge was built in 1949 and has reached the end of its technical life expectancy. Local officials moved forward with the technical review after receiving $304,972 from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Connecting Link Program to fund the study. The review will determine whether the crossing can be saved through major rehabilitation or whether a full replacement is required.
Residents can learn more and share input at a public information session on Saturday, January 17, 2026. The meeting runs from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Mattawa Municipal Office (160 Water Street) and will cover how potential construction could affect local traffic and businesses.
To prepare for possible bridge work, the town recently completed upgrades to the Dorion/Belanger Road corridor. Those improvements — including easing the sharp turns on the hill and at the Belanger Road junction — provide a reliable light-traffic detour if the main bridge must close for multi‑year construction.
The bridge was renamed in 2017 to honour Mauril Bélanger, a Mattawa-born longtime Liberal Member of Parliament. Local officials have also said the bridge suffered significant stress during the 2019 spring floods, which has added urgency to the comprehensive review.
Once the technical study is complete, Town of Mattawa council plans to apply for additional provincial and federal funding to start the necessary repairs or construction. As Mayor Raymond A. Belanger has said, “Once we have those documents in place, we’ll be looking for more funding.” (reported by BayToday.)
