West Island residents are wondering about the future of the Sources Boulevard pedestrian overpass that’s been closed for months.
On Dec. 18, 2021, parts of the structure were damaged after a car left the roadway, crashed through the guardrails of the walkway and plunged onto Donegani Boulevard several metres below. One person was killed.
The walkway crosses over Highway 20 and has been a popular route for people living on either side of the highway.
According to Margi Ferguson, who lives nearby, the closure has been a huge inconvenience because she’s used the walkway frequently.
“Especially during COVID because I was walking over to do what I wanted to do over here,” she told Global News.
Now, she has to take a cab.
Mira Okshevsky, Pointe Claire resident, agrees that the closure has made life difficult, especially for seniors.
“My mother lives on the other side of the overpass, on the other side of the 20, so she uses the overpass all the time,” she explained. “She doesn’t have a car, she likes to walk.”
The City of Pointe Claire published an update recently on their website about repairs.
“When damaged, such a structure requires a thorough inspection by external experts, after which a technical report is provided,” reads the update.
“It took several months to obtain this service.”
In the message, the city also blamed the COVID crisis for some of the delays and said they are waiting for a start date for the repairs from the contractor.
Residents have long had concerns about the state of the entire overpass, including the roadway and the walkway.
Last year, Transport Quebec made $20 million worth of repairs in an effort to extend the life of the structure.
In an email to Global News Pointe Claire said the cost of repairing the damage from the December crash is $30,000 and that the city has a $2-million budget for other major repairs.
“This year and future another $3.9 million (is budgeted),” explained city councillor Brent Cowan, “so that’s $5.8 million. That’s a lot of money.”
Cowan isn’t necessarily opposed to repairs but cautions that a careful assessment needs to be done before investing millions of dollars for a full repair of the walkway.
Questions such as “who’s using it, how many people are using it now and who may be using it in the future,” he reasoned.
He argues the $5.8 million would be wasted if Transport Quebec then decides to replace the entire overpass within a few years.