Overpass north of Montreal collapses, trapping at least 1 vehicle: reports

CP via Yahoo! ^ | 9/30/06 | Canadian Press

[conservative in nyc]

Quebec police say an overpass north of Montreal has collapsed.

All-news channel LCN is reporting that at least one vehicle is trapped in the rubble and that five people have been injured.

Quebec provincial police say the overpass on Boulevard de la Concorde gave out early this afternoon, crashing onto Highway 19.

Emergency crews are on the scene.

Highway 19 connects Laval to the island of Montreal.

[conservative in nyc]

There are now English-language accounts of the "demarcation" - apparently, a motorist saw the bridge sink a few inches when he crossed it shortly before the collapse. The motorist told LCN that he was so freaked out that he called 911 and reported it.


Hindsight is always 20/20, but the Quebec authorities had about an hours' notice that something was wrong.

According to the most recent news reports, the overpass was probably built in the 1970s.

[goldstategop]

Few bridges are lightly travelled. With thousands of vehicles crossing them every single day, it takes its toll on them. The problem is the maintenance. Its the one aspect of public roads many governments overlook and not just in Quebec. With housing, the main problem is termites. They eat away at the framework but it takes years before the damage is obvious. With a bridge, structural weaknesses are seldom apparent unless a close inspection of it is done and there are thousands of them in just one region.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[goldstategop]

The word is the same in either language.

Une démarcation le long de la route provinciale 19 fait partie de la structure du système routier dans la région Laval de Québec.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[muggs]

With public housing, the main problem is termites.

It's not the termites, it's the occupants of public housing that cause the destruction.

[fanfan]

the Quebec authorities had about an hours' notice that something was wrong.

The cops should have sent a car to investigate, and closed the road. Instead they may have just called the city. (guessing)

On a weekend, with unionized workers involved. That would be an accident waiting to happen, as it were.

Sad for the citizens and their families.

[Toby06]

Notice I said public housing? It's not the uninvited vermin that destroy them, it's the residents.

BTW, I work in the bridge building industry, thanks.

[fanfan]

Synonyms

Demarcation:

bound, confine, delimitation, differentiation, distinction, division, enclosure, limit, margin, separation, split, terminus

Thanks GSGOP. :-)

[I Drive Too Fast]

sad news ping

[GMMAC]

Although who knows if this relates here, widespread public sector corruption has long been far more of an issue in Quebec than anywhere else in Canada.

Notwithstanding how Quebecers may feel about Stephen Harper & the Conservatives on any given issue from Afghanistan to the Gun Registry, if they're seen to be offering clean & fair government, it will go a long,long way in the next election.

[Twinkie]

prayers

[Pablo64]

"There must be something in the concrete in Laval - this is the second time an overpass has collapsed there this decade."

It's probably what's not in the concrete that is the problem (i.e., proper reinforcement, correct cement/aggregate mixture, etc.)

[mewzilla]

The latest....

Four killed in overpass collapse Vehicles completely crushed

[CaptainCanada]

Agreed....

[GMMAC]

Your linked article says 2 + 3 in the two crushed cars for 5 dead in total.