Emergency repairs on the Turcot interchange snarled traffic Wednesday morning, as the road was reduced to one centre lane.
Transports Quebec announced the closure Tuesday after a regular inspection revealed decay to pillars in the southbound portion of the interchange, stretching from Decarie to a point just southeast of the Lachine Canal. They could not say when it would re-open.
"There's degradation of the cement," said Transports Quebec spokesperson Mario St. Pierre.
Transports Quebec assured that there is no chance of the interchange falling.
Structural engineer Hellen Christodoulou said the 43-year-old span, which is slated to be demolished, should be torn down as soon as possible.
""The problem is it has reached such a stage that it poses danger structurally. We know at this point it has been slated for replacement. Anything that occurs at this point is really not a surprise. It has reached a point that there are going to be spontaneous problems that sporadically show up," she said.
Inspections are frequently conducted along the interchange by the consortium of SNC-Lavalin / CIMA + / Dessau.
As a result of their findings, the transport department restricted traffic to only the right-hand lane heading south from the Decarie expressway Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning, the closure changed into a single centre lane, providing access to the pillars on either side of the route.
"We're telling drivers to use only the centre lane, which is the most solid," said St. Pierre. "It's also easier for the engineers to work on the side when cars are in the centre."
Two-lane traffic will only resume when the emergency work has been completed, and according to St. Pierre, "We don't know how long it will last."
As many as 31,000 cars use that stretch of road daily. Transport officials expect there will continue to be lengthy delays in traffic, and to see traffic jams stretching back on Decarie.
They are urging drivers to carpool, use public transit and take an alternate route if possible.
