Last week's demolition of two overpasses connecting Highway 15 and the Champlain Bridge is causing controversy for more reasons than just the inconvenience to drivers.
Tearing the overpasses down cost tax payers more than $5 million -- and the structures were only three years old.
The decision to reconstruct the two overpasses was made in 2010.
The Federal Bridge Corporation now says the overall Champlain Bridge plan was not complete at that time and not detailed enough, and so no one realized that these overpasses wouldn't fit into the project.
They were built in 2013 and were made to last 75 years. Three years later, they were torn down.
“What we chose to do is build in some flexibility for the future constructor who would rebuild the whole corridor, so we chose a metal structure that would allow the constructor to reuse part of the metal overpasses in their future design,” said Julie Paquet of Champlain and Jacques Cartier Bridges.
Despite last week's demolitions, the new structures that fit into the Champlain Bridge plan will be completed on time sometime next year.
