December 2007

Laval Bridge Collapse Inquiry Report Issued

A Quebec inquiry has blamed the provincial government, along with several engineers and companies, for an overpass collapse in Laval that killed five people last year. 

"The collapse comes from a series of shortcomings ... but no one person or one organization can be assigned responsibility for what happened on September 30, 2006," inquiry head Pierre Marc Johnson told a news conference. 

The report found that there were three main reasons for the collapse: a 'total lack of quality control'; shoddy construction; and low-quality concrete used to build the overpass, constructed 35 years ago. People and organizations "failed to assume their responsibilities during construction (and) during the bridge's service life," Johnson said in his report. 

He added that repair work in 1992 and poor inspections added to the problems. 

The report also said that Quebec lags behind other regions when it comes to bridge safety. In the U.S., 12 per cent of all bridges are considered structurally deficient. In Ontario, the figure is 32 per cent, but in Quebec 49 per cent are considered deficient. 

Mr. Johnson made 17 recommendations, including spending $500 million per year for at least 10 years on bridge and overpass repair and construction. 

He also suggests tougher quality control standards for construction companies. 

The provincial government has a plan to spend $30 billion on fixing infrastructure in the province, including bridges, overpasses and buildings such as schools and jails. 

For more information on report recommendations, see:  http://http://communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/
communiques/GPQE/Octobre2007/18/c5536.html

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