Quebec’s Transportation Ministry is wrestling in court with a high-profile construction firm over a $45 million bridge repair east of Montreal.
The Louisbourg and Simard Beaudry construction companies were paid $45 million by the province to fix a span on Highway 20 linking Beloeil to Mont St. Hilaire five years ago. But the repairs have not aged well.
The asphalt began degrading after just two years and now whenever a vehicle rolls over a joints in the structure, the bridge emits a loud noise.
"The noise has increased tremendously in the last couple of years, it’s unbelievable," said nearby resident Catherine Prosser Warten. "Sometimes it sounds like the bridge is going to come down when the trucks go across it. It was nowhere near as noisy as that four years ago when we moved here."
Such decay should not be evident before 10 or 20 years time, according to Sarah Bensadoun of the Quebec Transportation Ministry.
The companies that did the repairs were once owned by construction magnate Tony Accurso, who recently testified at the Charbonneau Commission.
“It is safe for drivers. It’s just not very comfortable when you’re driving on the bridge and it's noisy for residents of the area," Bensadoun told CTV Montreal Friday.
Bensadoun could not provide further information because the case is currently before a judge.
Repair work will be done at night to fix the pavement starting next Monday.
