It looks like construction on the Mercier Bridge will finish ahead of schedule this summer.
The federal government project was initially slotted to finish on Aug. 21, but the Crown corporation responsible for the federal section of the Mercier Bridge had some good news to share with drivers.
Catherine Tremblay, Senior Director for Project Construction and Operations at the Jacques Cartier Bridge Corporation told Global News that the project might finish a “couple days in advance.”
She explained the project was able to move ahead quicker thanks to efficient workers and favourable weather conditions to replace the bridge’s deck.
READ MORE: Final push to finish construction on the Mercier Bridge
This isn’t the first time the construction corporation has been ahead of schedule.
Last year, the firm finished another phase of the project a week and a half before the deadline.
Every summer since 2008, the bridge has turned into to a construction site.
At first, it was going to be carried out in collaboration with Transports Quebec (MTQ).
For various reasons, the MTQ withdrew from the project, but the federal government decided to continue on because it was not faced with the same constraints.
READ MORE: Mercier Bridge reopened after truck crashes into structure
On the provincial section of the bridge, analysis is currently being done, paving the way for major work in the near future.
Nomba Danielle, spokesperson for Transports Quebec told Global News that “since the federal government has started, it’s now up to the provincial government to do it’s part.”
She insisted collaboration on the bridge construction is key.
What impresses experts about construction on the federal section is the project’s adherence to timelines.
This success story is rare since projects of this kind rarely finish on schedule.
READ MORE: More construction planned on Mercier Bridge
McGill Professor Ahmed El-Geneidy explained 99.9 per cent of construction projects “usually overrun on time and overrun on money.”
Construction in Montreal is no exception to this general rule.
“We opened the Olympics with an unfinished stadium. That’s an example of how much we don’t adhere to schedules in this city,” El-Geneidy told Global News.
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