It’s enough to make a taxpayer cry.
An $11-million overpass in Montreal that was built just a year ago has been torn down because it turns out the structure doesn’t fit in with plans for the new Champlain Bridge.
The brand new overpass on Highway 15 in Verdun was completed in 2015.
The overpass, now just a pile of rubble after being demolished this week, was built to replace an old structure that was at the end of its lifespan.
But right around the time the new overpass was completed, a consortium called the Signature on the Saint Lawrence (SSL) was chosen to build the new Champlain Bridge.
“By the time we did our design, their work was finishing and we realized that we couldn’t reuse these overpasses that had been rebuilt, unfortunately,” Stephanie Lassonde, a spokesperson for SSL told CTV Montreal.
The major problem was the overpass had only two lanes, but the new Highway 15 will have three lanes.
SSL says the overpass couldn’t be salvaged.
“It was impossible for us to use them because they were not aligned properly with the new configuration of the corridor,” Lassonde said.
While it may be infuriating for taxpayers, it’s not all that uncommon, says structural engineer Hellen Christodoulou.
“You try as much as possible to anticipate some of the overall design criteria, but it’s not always possible because there are a lot of stakeholders that are involved, criterias are dynamic and they change,” Christodoulou said.
But it’s no comfort to taxpayers who may feel there’s not enough co-ordination of infrastructure projects.
“If I make an error, I pay for it myself but if a big company makes an error, (nobody) cares because it’s the people like us who will pay,” one man told CTV Montreal.
SSL says once completed, everyone will benefit from the new highway and new overpass.
The new Champlain Bridge is expected to open at the end of 2018.
With files from CTV Montreal's Rob Lurie
