If your driving on any of the roads in Labelle Province ,you should maybe keep your neck really stiff ,in case any of the concrete decides to take a holiday & lands on your car....more evidence of some poor construction ,this Ville Marie Tunnel isn't really that old in the grand scheme of things..
MONTREAL - The Ville Marie tunnel has been closed in both directions between de la Montagne and Panet Sts. after a large piece of concrete came tumbling down onto the roadway Sunday morning.
According to Montreal police Constable Anie Lemieux, the concrete fell just after 9 a.m.
"The information that we have is that a structure collapsed...near de Hotel de Ville Ave. overpass," Lemieux said. "No one has been hurt, and no is trapped inside."
The structure was apparently a large piece of concrete roofing installed directly over the roadway. The concrete had been shaped into a grill-like structure with holes to allow light and air to filter into the tunnel.
The structure fell across four lanes, three of which were open to traffic at the time.
Construction of a tunnel linking the new CHUM research centre to the Champs de Mars métro station had closed the St. Laurent Blvd. ramp at Exit 6 near the site of the collapse. The ramp was scheduled to re-open on Aug. 6.
It remains unclear if the construction had anything to do with the concrete falling. There were reportedly workers on the site Sunday morning, but none of them were injured.
Transport Quebec spokesperson Caroline Larose was asked directly by reporters when the last inspection had been carried out on the overpass. She would only say that Transport Quebec conducts regular inspections on all highway infrastructure.
Approximately 100,000 cars pass through the Ville Marie tunnel each weekday, said Larose.
A large security perimetre has been set up around the site of the collapse. It is unclear when the Ville Marie will be re-opened to traffic.
More to come.
2 comments:
Oooooooooops , well at least noone was hurt.
MONTREAL — The Transport Ministry released two inspections of the Viger Tunnel done in 2008 and 2010 late Monday afternoon, and they suggest the state of the infrastructure was of grave concern well before Sunday morning's incident that saw a massive concrete beam fall on the Ville-Marie expressway.
The last full inspection of the tunnel was conducted in 2008, while an annual visual inspection was done in 2010.
In the 2008 report prepared by SNC Lavalin, the tunnel is described to be in a state of serious disrepair.
"We can consider the general state (of the tunnel) to be ‘critical' when it comes to the ‘security of users,'" the 2008 report states.
The Transport Ministry posted the two inspection reports on its web site after the Parti Québécois criticized the ministry earlier in the day for keeping the reports secret.
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110801/mtl_villemarie_110801/20110802?hub=MontrealHome
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