MONTREAL - Officials have announced that they aim to remove the fallen concrete starting Tuesday and reopen the Ville Marie Tunnel by the start of the weekend.
In a press conference held near the site of the collapse Tuesday afternoon, Transport Minister Sam Hamad hinted that the province might ask some hard questions of contractors who might be at the root of the collapse.
"If there's an accident done by an entrepreneur, what should we do? We'd need to get proof, an analysis and then go after those who caused the damage," he said. "As I said, if there were errors, there will be consequences."
Reporters peppered him with questions about a Leger & Leger poll suggesting that 90 percent of citizens were concerned about the state of Montreal roads.
One reporter repeatedly asked Hamad whether he would resign. Hamad finally answered, "I haven't thought about quitting at all."
Hamad said that the Transport Ministry has been investing billions and considerable efforts to repair a legacy of highway issues.
"I don't want to judge other years; I'm here to deal with the situation," he said.
Hamad also appeared reluctant to commit himself to publishing studies concerning other road issues, as demanded by PQ Transport Critic Nicolas Girard. He said that the ministry plans to deal with the Ville Marie before concentrating on those other issues.
Earlier Tuesday Anne-Marie Leclerc of the Transport Ministry defended the government's record of maintenance in the tunnel. She said that the ministry has ordered an investigation into the roof collapse in the Viger Tunnel Sunday morning and that inspectors will be given a mandate to be, "rigorous, independent and uninfluenced, to allow us have the most precise report possible on what happened."
The Transport Ministry released two inspections of the Viger Tunnel done in 2008 and 2010 late Monday afternoon, and they suggest the state of the infrastructure was of grave concern well before Sunday morning's incident that saw a massive concrete beam fall on the Ville-Marie expressway.
The last full inspection of the tunnel was conducted in 2008, while an annual visual inspection was done in 2010.
In the 2008 report prepared by SNC Lavalin, the tunnel is described to be in a state of serious disrepair.
"We can consider the general state (of the tunnel) to be ‘critical' when it comes to the ‘security of users,'" the 2008 report states.
The Transport Ministry posted the two inspection reports on its web site after the Parti Québécois criticized the ministry earlier in the day for keeping the reports secret.
Transport Quebec spokesperson Caroline Larose made it clear that the ministry's inspection system is not considered to be at fault in this instance.
"Our inspection procedure is not in question at this time," she said.
The 2008 inspection noted some structural problems associated with the concrete shades that fell and the beams that supported them.
The report said the beams holding the shades up were showing cracks and deteriorated concrete near the supports. It also said that beam number one – the one next to the beam that fell – and beam number 17 had lost 25 per cent of their support strength.
"In general, the concrete shades have deteriorated surfaces and fragments of concrete could fall on the highway," the report states.
Later, the inspection report considers the entire state of the concrete shades to be highly questionable.
"The current state of the concrete shades is dubious and we recommend, in very short order, an inventory of damages and a structural analysis for all of these elements," the report states.
"It's just as I suspected," said transportation engineer Bala Ashtakala after looking at the reports. Ashtakala had previously warned of possible concrete corrosion on the highway. "The material has totally failed. You could see plainly from outside, that means it's right inside too."
He recommended that concrete samples be taken and studied.
"You have to take core samples, put it in a compression machine and find its strength," he said. "It's generally in bad condition in that section of the tunnel."
Adel Hanna, a Civil Engineer and Concordia University Professor told CTV Montreal that government inaction following the 2008 report was inexcusable.
"This report was very comprehensive, detailed and explained all the problems. The collapse could have been avoided if the recommendations in the report were acted upon. It's disappointing."
"The Lavalin report tested the concrete; they saw cracks and water around the slab, that should have been enough for them to start repairs," said Hanna. "If the government disagreed with the report they should have hired another firm, but nothing happened."
One group of professionals argued Tuesday that the collapse is proof that better training requirements are necessary for the construction industry.
"Few realize that anybody, regardless of training or professional membership can undertake technical tasks involving construction plans, inspection work, quality control and material management," wrote the Order of professional technicians (OTPQ) in a press release Tuesday. The group hopes that the province will pass more stringent training requirements this fall.
The section of Highway 720 eastbound between Berri/St-Laurent and Panet remained closed Tuesday after a huge chunk of concrete, around 15 metres long and weighing several tons, fell from the roof of the structure just east of Hotel de Ville.
But at 5 a.m. Monday, another section that had initially been shut between de la Montagne and the St-Laurent exit was reopened to traffic."The beam that fell is in the middle. It was holding two sets of grids. The third is now holding just one grid. So we're wondering if it's balanced or unbalanced," Larose said. "We want to anchor it properly as a precaution. We're taking every measure to keep everybody safe."
Journalist Alan Hustak, a nearby resident, happened to be exiting the Ville Marie up the St-Laurent/Berri ramp when the collapse took place Sunday morning.
"I heard this tremor, a rumble, almost like an explosion. Then I saw dust and a piece of cement hanging and falling," he said. "The frightening part is wondering what was going to happen next. There's a moment that goes through your head asking, 'Am I caught in something and is any more going to happen?'"
The accident took place around 9:10 a.m. Sunday while workers were reinforcing tunnel walls. Officials encouraged commuters to take public transit or to carpool or to avoid the area completely if possible.
The provincial police reported Monday morning that they had not yet received the green light from Transport Quebec structural analysts to start the investigation ordered Sunday by minister Sam Hamad.
The massive concrete slabs and the beam that fell Sunday remained in place Monday afternoon, and Larose said the ministry was still evaluating the best way to remove them.
It was the second cement frame and shade east of Hotel-de-Ville that collapsed Sunday. Engineers spent Monday morning verifying and re-stabilizing the first cement structure to ensure the safety of the sections adjacent to the piece that tumbled the day before.
A third support beam was to be stabilized overnight Monday, and that would allow engineers and inspectors to work in the tunnel safely on Tuesday, Larose said. A timeline for when the tunnel may be re-opened would be easier to estimate at that time, Larose added.
On Monday afternoon the Quebec Public Service Union (SFPQ) demanded an independent investigation into the incident. They argued that a massive increase in sub-contracting at the Transport Ministry might be at the root of the problem.
One structural engineer told CTV Montreal that a comment made by a Transport Ministry rep Monday betrayed a flawed approach to the work.
The government official said that Sunday morning's wall maintenance, conducted by subcontractor Laco Construction, was undertaken as all others have been in the past without issue.
However every such job requires a unique approach appropriate to its specific situation, according to Hellen Christodoulou.
The collapse was likely caused by some combination of vibration on the walls and inadequate maintenance.
Either way, there is blame to be laid somewhere, said Christodoulou. "The right measures were not taken to avoid this. There was something lacking."
Westbound traffic was reopened Sunday at 3 p.m. Highway entrances from de la Cathedrale, Duke and the Bonaventure expressway remained closed Monday.
On Monday parking was banned on Ontario, Rene Levesque and St. Antoine to allow additional traffic to flow on those arteries. The morning rush hour traffic was light, but there are fears that the end of the construction holiday next Monday will worsen the situation.
The STM also added 90 bus trips on six lines connecting the west end with downtown Monday morning in an effort to reduce the traffic burden on the 720. Extra buses were added for the morning and afternoon rush hours on the following lines: 173 – Metrobus Victoria, 190 – Metrobus Lachine, 211 – Lakeshore, 221 – Metrobus Lionel-Groulx, 420 – Express Notre-Dame-de-Grace and 506 – R-bus Newman.
The additional bus trips are from 6-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m.
Traffic has been relatively fluid since the event. Drivers motored into town Monday and Tuesday with no major delays reported.
