Operpass collapses in Montreal.

[gt40]

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/am....ap/index.html
I have driven only twice thru this area, and each time thinking that the condition of these overpassess were terrible, and was happy to be off them as quickly as possible.
These over passes are sometimes almost 100 ft above ground , and in dire need of repair.
I will certainly be taking a different route next time

[schmosef]

[RhinoZ]

What's really sad, are these roads and most of the Montreal infastructure were built and "rushed" for the Olympics in 1976. Wait until the engineer's report comes out after this.

[Dr Mordrid]

Sounds like the "Big Dig" North

[KvHagedorn]

This world is so pathetically lacking in leadership qualities nowadays.

There appeared to have been some advance warning signs of trouble with the overpass in Laval, part of the Greater Montreal Area. One witness told TVA television network that he noticed the road had sunk an inch or two when he traveled over the overpass minutes before the collapse, and he called emergency dispatchers.

An inspector from Transport Quebec, the provinces transportation ministry, was sent to the site about 30 minutes before the tragedy, but the overpass remained open.

[ZokesPro]

The designer of the bridge said that there was a gross lack of maintenance on these bridges once they were built.

[lowlifecat]

gross lack = big fat zero

municipal workers showed up at the site of the collapse 30 minutes before. picked up the peices of concret that had fallen and went on thier way.

these guys are some of the hardest workers around. when they are not driving around from one tim hortens to another you'll see 5 of them on a roadside watching 1 guy digging a hole.

on the laval side they are even worse than on the island. not that they are good on montreal currently. I remember when i was in highschool (before the unification) Dorval mayor would give 100$ to anyone who found a pot hole big enough to fit a chicken.

[Claymonkey]

You'd think they would have been more careful after the tunnel problems here in Boston.

[gt40]

Now if somebody had just painted an English sign on that overpass it WOULD have been shut down.