Fifth anniversary of overpass collapse

The De la Concorde overpass collapsed on Sept. 30, 2006, killing five people and injuring six others.

Friday marks the fifth anniversary of a deadly overpass collapse in Laval.

On September 30, 2006, the De la Concorde bridge over Highway 19 fell, killing five people and injuring six others.

The structure has since been destroyed and rebuilt, as was another nearby overpass that suffered from the same structural problems.

That collapse happened six years after the Souvenir overpass fell down as it was being constructed over Highway 15. One person died in that collapse.

Those catastrophic failures in the roadways Quebecers depend on prompted a massive investigation of bridges, tunnels, and overpasses throughout the province that is still affecting drivers.

An inquiry learned that signs of the collapse had been spotted an hour before the viaduct came down.

At 11:25 a.m. provincial police learned that a piece of concrete fell from the de la Concorde overpass.

Traffic reporters were advised at 11:35 a.m., the transport department made a visual inspection just before noon and police reported a second fallen chunk at 12:33 p.m.

No one mentioned anything to drivers.

At 12:37 p.m., a 20-metre section of the structure collapsed onto the highway below, crushing several vehicles down to the level of rescuers' ankles.

Premier Jean Charest appointed one of his predecessors, Pierre Marc Johnson, to head up a public inquiry into the disaster.

Johnson dropped a bombshell even before he tabled his report, when he announced in the summer of 2007 that 135 bridges and overpasses needed to be demolished or urgently repaired.

His final report in October 2007 found that the 40-year-old de la Concorde overpass was poorly designed, with concrete that couldn't withstand freeze-thaw cycles or road salt

Countless construction projects are now underway in order to repair damaged structures, including a pedestrian bridge that was closed this week in Montreal.

The anniversary is not being marked with any large ceremony.

At a Laval city council meeting on Monday October 3rd, members will hold a minute of silence to remember the victims.