Quebec Autoroute 19 - 2006 Highway Overpass Collapse

2006 Highway Overpass Collapse

On September 30, 2006, at 12:30PM EDT, an overpass on Boulevard de la Concorde (Exit 5) collapsed onto the busy Autoroute 19 in Laval. Two vehicles were crushed underneath, while three others and a motorcycle fell from the top. Five people were killed and six others were injured, including three critically. There have been numerous reports from witnesses who saw the two vehicles being crushed underneath the structure. The viaduct, built in 1970, had been rated for 35 more years of service and had a maintenance check one year earlier, in 2005. The police called Transports Quebec to report fallen chunks of concrete one hour before the collapse, and a Transports Quebec team had visually inspected the span less than thirty minutes prior to the collapse. The section between Autoroute 440 and Boulevard Levesque was reopened four weeks later. An estimated 60 000 motorists use the highway and connected bridge to the Island of Montreal daily. Traffic and bus re-routing as well as park-and-ride measures were being managed by Transports Quebec (see external link below). In light of the incident, the Quebec government announced a public investigation headed by former premier Pierre-Marc Johnson into the matter. The remainder of the structure was demolished on October 21 after further inspection of the remains. A nearby overpass was also ordered to be demolished due to structural concerns.

The replacement overpass for Boulevard de la Concorde opened to traffic on June 13, 2007.