The Abitibi Trestle Bridge in Iroquois Falls is set to be closed. The bridge needs construction to be able to make safety requirements, which would be very expensive. Resolute Forest Products who decided the bridge needs to be closed says this is because it is unsafe, and not used enough to make the investment worthwhile. However, Gilles Forget, Mayor of Iroquois Falls, says it is used by thousands of people and would have a large impact on the community.
There is a Save the Bridge team, who says the closure is a social and economic blow to the North East. Cottage values on the lake could decrease, and traffic in Cochrane could increase from both recreational and commercial use.
Lake Abitibi is used by many, and without the bridge the only way to get through is through Cochrane, turning a 10 kilometre trip into 150.