Given the importance of the work to be done to ensure the longevity of the Pierre-Laporte Bridge, the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) has appointed a new team to lead the file. The regional management of Chaudière-Appalaches therefore loses part of its responsibilities in favor of the management of major projects of the MTQ, learned Radio-Canada.
A decision logicaccording to the spokesperson for the MTQ, Nicolas Vigneault, given the conclusions of a document reporting, among other things, the accelerated degradation of the hangers, these pairs of vertical cables which are used to support the deck of the bridge.
When we look at the report that was made public by Radio-Canada, by the team ofInvestigation, […] there are enough elements that tell us that there will be major work to come on the Pierre-Laporte bridgeexplains Mr. Vigneault.
” This is a report that the department, of course, takes very seriously. “
Two engineers from the MTQ studied the suspension system of the Pierre-Laporte bridge and signed a document of more than 100 pages, the main recommendation of which is the replacement of all the suspension lines. The earliest would be bestthey write.
The MTQ believes that the major projects department is in the best position to manage such major work. Everything related to the repair and maintenance of the load-bearing cables, hangers, deck, pylons or anchor blocks of the Pierre-Laporte Bridge is now under the direction of the major road projects of the MTQ.
It was this team in particular that was involved in Turcot, in the major refurbishment of the Louis-H[yppolite-La Fontaine] in Montreal and also the replacement project for the Île-d’Orléans bridgespecifies the spokesman of the ministry.
The entire management of the Pierre-Laporte bridge was until now under the responsibility of the regional management of Chaudière-Appalaches. The regional team will retain certain responsibilities, such as snow removal from the bridge.
In addition, the employees of Chaudière-Appalaches who are dedicated to the file will provide the support necessary to ensure the management of the Pierre-Laporte bridge while waiting for the new team to be formed within the department of major projects.
The engineer at the head of the team responsible for the Pierre-Laporte bridge, within the territorial management of Chaudière-Appalaches, had mentioned to Radio-Canada that he had not had access to the report, but he assured that there was no rush to replace all the suspension lines on the Pierre-Laporte bridge.
Even though the lines had to be changed urgently last fall and even though fellow engineers had been sounding the alarm since 2016, Christian Mercier relied on the preliminary opinion of an American firm whose report is expected in little.
But the day after the broadcast, the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, was quick to announce the acceleration of the replacement of the lines.
I can assure you of one thing today, it will take less than 15 years to consolidate, repair or replace these lines., he said, as Christian Mercier and his team planned a complete replacement over a horizon of 5 to 15 years. Only 15 of the 160 original lines have been changed since 2015. This leaves 145 to replace.
François Bonnardel was informed of the report on the condition of the Pierre-Laporte bridge only last week when the broadcast Investigation invited the MTQ to comment on it, while managers and senior officials had the document in hand since April 2.
The Minister announced that an outside firm would examine the process that led to these errors.
Source: Radio-Canada
