MONTREAL - The federal government will pony up to fix the Champlain Bridge, it was announced in a press conference Friday morning but the feds still await additional information before deciding whether or not to build a replacement.
On Thursday the La Presse newspaper reported that it had obtained two reports that described the bridge as being in imminent danger of collapse.
But in a press conference Friday morning Larry Smith, representing federal Transport Minister Chuck Strahl, said that the government is awaiting a pre-feasibility study that was commissioned in 2009 to examine the future of the bridge.
It is possible that the government may decide to replace the bridge altogether. For the moment, they are only planning repairs.
The Transport Ministry announced Friday that it has set aside $228 million over the next three years to Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI).
Of that sum, the government will allocate $158 million of the funding to the Champlain Bridge Corridor.
Meanwhile $70 million will go to other JCCBI structures, including the Jacques Cartier Bridge
The money is for safety repairs and what is described as "asset preservation."
"The safety and security of the Champlain Bridge and of the people crossing it every day are a top priority for our government," said Smith.
The bridge - Canada's busiest - spans the St. Lawrence River and is set to celebrate its 50th birthday next year.
The reports obtained by La Presse indicate that the condition of the bridge is so dire that it should be replaced as soon as possible.
One of the reports was prepared for the federal Transport Ministry by Delcan Corporation.
"It was recognized that there is a risk of partial collapse of the bridge, or even a collapse of a span (a portion of the bridge between two pillars)," La Presse quotes from a report dated 15 December.
The report also indicated that the bridge would be vulnerable to collapse in the event of an earthquake.
A second report apparently declares that a new structure is needed as soon as possible.
"The shortcomings and risks are such that the Champlain Bridge must be replaced by a new structure. A rapid process should be initiated so that the replacement begins as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the current work of rehabilitation should continue."
The reports are described as "confidential" and "preliminary." One is 30 pages and the other 21 pages.
The federal government had previously announced a decade-long program to repair the bridges at the cost of $212 million.
La Presse cites another report that indicates that planners are said to be favouring an eight-lane replacement bridge to be built near the Champlain Bridge to the east. Two lanes would be used for public transit. The cost of a bridge has been estimated between two and six billion dollars.
