Some residents in the South Shore community of Saint-Mathieu are losing patience waiting for a controversial bridge that was supposed to be opened by now.

Set to be open by Christmas, Saint-Mathieu Mayor Lise Poissant-Charron said Louisbourg SBC, the company building the bridge, did not receive the beams on time.

By the time they were delivered, it was too cold to do the work, and now the company said it can't resume work until the spring.

Due to the delay, drivers heading to Montreal can not take the Highway 15 north overpass at the Saint-Mathieu exit, and are instead forced to make a 20-kilometre detour, which can take up to an hour in traffic.

Louisbourg SBC is run by Tony Accurso. Two other companies owned by Accurso, Simard-Beaudry Construction and Construction Louisbourg, are unable to bid on government contracts until 2015.

The companies were fined $4.1 million in December 2011 for defrauding Revenue Canada as part of a false billing scam. They were also sanctioned for a number of health and safety violations between 2006 and 2010.

Their guilty pleas in the fraud case prompted the order from the province's building regulator, la Regie du batiment, forcing them to cease work on current projects and are not entitled to bid on public contracts for four years.

La Prairie MNA Francois Rebello said Louisbourg won the $4.5-million contract by underbidding its nearest competitor by only $588.

"Five hundred dollars on a $4.5-million project and a big quality problem with the beam? For me, it's a very big problem for a construction firm," he said, adding that he believes the project has been mismanaged by Transport Quebec.

Both Rebello and Poissant-Charron are asking for compensation from the government.

"With today's gas costs and adding 20 kilometres to your daily drive, for citizens, it's a lot of money," said Poissant-Charron.

Transport Quebec would not offer comment except to say they're investigating the matter.

Rebello said he believes Louisbourg SBC could have to pay hefty fines for the delay.

"This money should return to the population," he said.

At the moment, the bridge is set to open in summer.