Demolition Begins On Laval Overpass
Posted October 7, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Exactly a week after an overpass collapsed north of Montreal killing five people, workers began dismantling the remaining sections of the structure Saturday.
As crews began taking down the viaduct in Laval, Quebec transport officials announced that they would take down another overpass in the same area. That structure was built the same year as the one that collapsed.
Provincial Transport Minister Michel Despres said his department decided to bring down that overpass to reassure shaken motorists. Construction on the two new viaducts should be completed next summer.
An overpass collapsed around the noon hour last Saturday, sending massive slabs of concrete and vehicles raining down on two cars travelling under the structure on Highway 19 – a busy route that links Laval and Montreal.
It took rescue crews 15 hours to pull the victims’ two mangled cars out of the rubble. Services for those killed in the accident were held Friday.
Six people were also injured in the collapse.
