MONTREAL – Officials scrambled to assure the public that the Champlain Bridge was safe after a crack was discovered, causing a lane to close.
“The people who use the bridge, they’re safe when they use the bridge,” said Denis Lebel, the federal infrastructure minister. “If something is dangerous, they will close the bridge, that’s all you have to say.
“When the bridge is open that’s because it’s safe.”
Montreal’s Mayor, Denis Coderre, said he was cautiously optimistic, adding that he was pleased “for now.”
But critics are worried that the ageing bridge will continue to deteriorate, and that there isn’t a sufficient contingency plan in place.
“Give us a plan B,” said Hoang Mai, an MP from the South Shore riding of Brossard. “What happens in case of an emergency? And right now what we’re seeing is more reaction than leadership.”
Though the province and the feds both believe the bridge is safe, there is a massive rift going forward as both parties contemplate the bridge that will replace it. The Champlain is the busiest bridge in Canada, and one-fifth of all Quebec’s exports pass over the bridge. The replacement – which is supposed to open in 2021 – is projected to cost between $3 billion and $5 billion. The province has said repeatedly it wants the bridge to be free, while the federal government – which owns it – has insisted all along it be a toll bridge.
As the fissure that appeared in the bridge has demonstrated, any impasse that delays the construction of the new span could have a dramatic affect on commuter options out of the South Shore.
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