Ceiling crack shuts down Viger tunnel
A fresh inspection prompted the sudden closing of the Ville-Marie Expressway tunnel through the weekend after a construction mistake a week ago.
Transport Quebec engineers forced an emergency closing of the Viger Tunnel on Friday because faulty construction work compromised the structure’s concrete ceiling.
Last week, as workers sawed asphalt on Sanguinet St. above the tunnel, they cut too deep and cracked the tunnel’s ceiling. Initial inspections showed no major damage to the concrete slab, but the results of a second inspection, carried out Friday about 5 p.m., were troubling enough to force an emergency closing.
Police descended onto the Ville-Marie Expressway and sealed off the Viger Tunnel in both directions. It will remain closed for weekend or longer, as repair crews work to brace the structure and Transport Quebec engineers further assess the damage.
“I want to specify that this isn’t a structural flaw we just discovered,” said Transport Minister Robert Poeti, standing above the cracked ceiling.
“It was a work incident that caused the damage. ... We’re not worried for the rest of the tunnel’s safety in any way. This is about safety, we have no other choice but to repair this. ... I’m not saying there’s a risk that the (concrete) slab will fall, but we don’t want to take any chances.”
The sawing that damaged the tunnel was contracted by the city, according to Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre. The mayor could not say which company oversaw the work, which took place just outside of the massive Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal construction site.
It’s unclear why the public wasn’t advised of the initial damage to the tunnel when it occurred last week. But both the mayor and transport minister say the crack has since “created a weakness” in the structure.
“There’s (a section of the ceiling) held together strictly by friction,” Coderre told reporters. “It’s unfortunate for drivers and we’re sorry about that, but we believe in safety first.”
At about 7 p.m., well after rush hour, traffic around the Ville-Marie Expressway was still backed up with motorists honking, screaming and cursing from their windows. About 100,000 people drive under the downtown span every weekday.
A 64-page inspection report conducted by SNC-Lavalin in 2008 revealed massive structural problems with the Viger Tunnel, and a follow-up report in 2010 raised similar concerns. These reports were only made public in August 2011 after part of the ceiling of the tunnel collapsed.
The collapse, which caused no injuries, raised questions about Montreal’s crumbling infrastructure, much of which was erected during the 1960s and ’70s — when work on the Viger Tunnel was finalized.
“There will be an investigation to determine exactly what happened,” Poeti said. “Accidents happen, people make mistakes. ... What’s important now is to find out what happened and repair the damage.”
Coderre, who visited the tunnel with a team of engineers, would not venture a guess as to when the span will be reopened.
“Let’s start with this weekend, then will see what happens,” he said. “For all I know, we could be talking again before the weekend is over.”