MONTREAL – First there was just one.
Now, a second overpass has been built to bring motorists to and from the Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport to Montreal.
The problem is that neither overpass has been completed, as Transports Quebec and CP Rail remain at loggerheads over right of way access.
The impasse has lasted more than a year and the overpasses have ignominiously been dubbed “the bridges to nowhere.”
The issue began when Transports Quebec did not take steps to secure permission before building on land owned by the private railroad company.
Support pillars need to be built to complete the overpasses above the tracks and highway A20, but Transports Quebec started construction before reaching an agreement with CP.
While the huge overpass hangs suspended in mid-air, the costs to rebuild the entire interchange are sky rocketing.
Airport authorities are furious the construction is taking so long while the price tag continues to rise.
The final tally wasn’t confirmed on Wednesday, but the bill was initially $150 million in 2005.
By 2012, the last time an amount was pegged to the project, the amount had reached $507 million.
And there isn’t an end in sight for the construction.
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