rive-sud Pont Samuel-De Champlain

[ToxiK]

I'm not sure why the federal government is slow to act on this one.

 

 

List of possible reasons:

 

 

-Too expansive

-Will cause controversy because of the anti-car groups

-Not located in Ontario

-Not located in Alberta

-Would be seen as another very costly gift to Québec

-They want to privatize the bridge

-They don't believe the science of the reports about the bridge

-They believe they won't be in power anymore when the bridge falls down and it will then be the problem of the Liberals

-They just don't care

-They are idiots

 

 

Any other possibilities?

[Cyrus]

Why would the Conservatives want to give anything to Alberta, whadda they going to do, vote LIEBRAL? LOL

 

Probably a cost issue and maybe they don't think they could ever make an inroad into Montreal. I mean it is basically a sea of red on one half and (the wrong) blue on the other half. Then again they have Larry Smith running around.

 

Probably the Liberals will be running the show by that time anyway so it is a valid point...

 

That said, PJCCI is doing significant renovations to the Mercier bridge, the only issue being that they are working on the parts that seemed least problematic to the road users (but the structure underneath, who knows) with contracts that seem to have been clandestinely accorded to a shady business but at least it won't raise any politics. But in total that is what, a ---- project? I tried to find the money being spent, but the website for that project is strangely silent on the matter. Even shadier it becomes!

 

Speaking of the Mercier website, I note it somewhat amusing that they said the MTQ could not place emergency pavement overlay over the absolutely incredibly bad outbound section, because the weight would be too much for the structure (!!!!!!!!!!!). Then they said the guardrails had no structural integrity (I guess because the concrete has fallen off along the sides) so they put Jersey barriers on either side, and banned trucks (according to the site, to reduce weight, but obviously the lanes are too narrow for them too now). May we live in interesting times!

Modifié 19 mars 2011 par Cyrus

[Habsfan]

Trouvé sur Cyberpresse.ca!

 

M. Pratte a raison!

 

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/place-publique/editorialistes/andre-pratte/201103/18/01-4380821-pont-champlain-lurgence-dagir.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_BO40_editoriaux_199_accueil_POS1

 

Pont Champlain: l'urgence d'agir

 

André Pratte

La Presse

 

Au nom du gouvernement du Canada, le sénateur Larry Smith a annoncé hier l'attribution d'un budget supplémentaire à la société des ponts Jacques-Cartier et Champlain, budget destiné notamment à assurer l'entretien du pont Champlain. Le sénateur Smith a soutenu que «le pont Champlain est sécuritaire et sûr pour tous les Canadiens et les voyageurs». À la lumière des dernières études commandées par le gouvernement fédéral, dont La Presse révélait hier le contenu, il est permis d'en douter.

Les rapports de la société Delcan, datés de décembre 2010, font état d'un «risque d'effondrement partiel du pont, ou même d'effondrement d'une travée». «L'état du pont est incompatible avec sa fonction de traversée majeure du fleuve Saint-Laurent, affirment les experts de Delcan. Même dans le contexte d'un programme méthodique et organisé d'inspection, de test, d'analyse, de réhabilitation et de réparation, le maintien en service du pont comporte certains risques qui ne peuvent pas être entièrement quantifiés.»

 

De ces deux documents, comme d'autres informations dévoilées par La Presse au cours des dernières semaines, il ressort que le pont Champlain doit sans l'ombre d'un doute être abandonné au profit d'une nouvelle structure. Il est clair aussi que malgré les propos rassurants des fonctionnaires responsables, les usagers peuvent à bon droit se demander s'il est prudent d'y circuler. Surtout que, comme l'affirme Delcan, une détérioration de ce genre tend à s'aggraver de manière exponentielle.

 

Il y a donc urgence. Malheureusement, ce sentiment d'urgence ne semble pas partagé par les fonctionnaires et les politiciens responsables du dossier. À Québec, on renvoie la balle au fédéral. À Ottawa, les ministres des Transports changent d'année en année et ont bien d'autres préoccupations que le pont Champlain. À Montréal, on est contre les ponts. Le coût de construction d'un nouvel ouvrage - plusieurs milliards - fait frémir. Alors, on rafistole le pont chambranlant. Et on croise les doigts.

 

 

Dans la région de Montréal, on sait ce qui peut arriver quand on tolère une infrastructure en mauvais état. Le 30 septembre 2006, cinq personnes ont été tuées dans l'effondrement du viaduc de la Concorde, à Laval. Un simple viaduc, cinq morts. Imaginez l'hécatombe si une partie du pont Champlain sombrait dans le fleuve en pleine heure de pointe.

 

Au lieu de s'émouvoir au sujet des nids-de-poule, la région de Montréal doit se mobiliser pour forcer les gouvernements supérieurs à donner priorité à ce dossier. Les autorités doivent mettre sur pied rapidement une instance efficace qui sera responsable de la conception et de la construction du nouveau pont. Entretemps, la société gérant le pont Champlain doit sortir de l'ombre et informer la population de l'état de l'ouvrage, régulièrement et complètement. C'est littéralement une question de vie ou de mort.

[Malek]

List of possible reasons:

 

 

-Too expansive

-Will cause controversy because of the anti-car groups

-Not located in Ontario

-Not located in Alberta

-Would be seen as another very costly gift to Québec

-They want to privatize the bridge

-They don't believe the science of the reports about the bridge

-They believe they won't be in power anymore when the bridge falls down and it will then be the problem of the Liberals

-They just don't care

-They are idiots

 

 

Any other possibilities?

 

They just have no idea what to do with it... these Montreal bridges are the only ones that connect the same province on both ends, nowhere else in the country they have something like this.

[Maisonneuve]

Entretemps, la société gérant le pont Champlain doit sortir de l'ombre et informer la population de l'état de l'ouvrage, régulièrement et complètement. C'est littéralement une question de vie ou de mort.

 

This is very concerning. It's life and death and politics prevails. Why?

[Cyrus]

This is very concerning. It's life and death and politics prevails. Why?

 

It's run by the government, there are only two factors, politics and... spin

[MTLskyline]

List of possible reasons:

 

 

-Too expansive

Perhaps it is! It would be best to seriously think about how such a project should be built.

-Will cause controversy because of the anti-car groups

I doubt the Tories care about these types of people!

-Not located in Ontario

They aren't the Liberals!

-Not located in Alberta

You have to admit that Alberta would be much more appreciative than Montreal would be of this sort of investment. Montreal had a few chances to elect a Tory to vouch for them, but they declined! It's hardly surprising that people not from Montreal care less about it!

-Would be seen as another very costly gift to Québec

A needed bridge would not be seen that way. An unneeded bridge would be.

-They want to privatize the bridge

That's a good idea. It would be cheaper too.

-They don't believe the science of the reports about the bridge

This is just the media scare-mongering.

-They believe they won't be in power anymore when the bridge falls down and it will then be the problem of the Liberals

Hold on, the Liberals were in power not too long ago, and they did absolutely nothing for the Champlain Bridge. How come nobody questions them?

-They just don't care

They are doing some renovations on it, are they not? The engineers involved will know what they are doing. If it wasn't safe, the engineers would tell people to stop using it, which they aren't!

-They are idiots

If they were idiots they would have blown through a ton of taxpayers money on something that should have cost much less. I prefer a government that takes time to make a well thought out major decision than a government that makes a sudden one (awarded to their friends in the construction industry of course). Don't forget that the federal Liberals built this bridge to begin with. If it was not built to last, the finger should be pointed at them. The Jacques-Cartier and Victoria are as solid as ever.

Any other possibilities?

They are taking the time to make a well-informed decision. The whole thing won't collapse tomorrow, despite opposition scare-mongering. I go on it frequently, and I don't fear for my life when I'm on it!

[Cyrus]

Hold on, the Liberals were in power not too long ago, and they did absolutely nothing for the Champlain Bridge. How come nobody questions them?

 

The Liberals were in power when they planned and built the bridge, aside from Dief's short stint And 10 years ago, the bridge seemed fine...

 

The engineers involved will know what they are doing. If it wasn't safe, the engineers would tell people to stop using it, which they aren't!

 

Sure, but the government might tell them to shut up!

[LindbergMTL]

Soyons francs ici, les politiciens fédéraux ont en horreur d'investir au Québec, la province du Bloc. C'est très difficile parce qu'ils sont perçus alors comme des prostituées qui tentent par tous les moyens d'acheter les votes des québécois. Va peut-etre falloir attendre qu'un dalle tombe dans l'eau pour qu'ils fassent quelque chose... Malheureusement.

[Cyrus]

Mais pour etre honnete, le gouvernement quebecois a neglige son reseau routier aussi, et c'etait eux qui a vraiment eu un dalle qui a tombe...