Laval Bridge Collapse Report Fingers Multiple Culprits
Designer, contractor and a subcontractor all received blame for poor workmanship, insufficient oversight and poor maintenance as the causes leading to a fatal bridge collapse in Quebec. The Sept. 30, 2006, collapse of a 20-meter-long section of a concrete cantilevered prestressed box girder bridge overpass on Highway 19 in Laval crushed five motorists to death.
The report was submitted to the provincial government Oct. 18. Earlier this year the three-member panel listened to 58 witnesses who were either driving on overpass when it collapsed, saw what happened or were connected in some way with its design or construction. Several civil engineering university professors also gave their opinion on possible causes and more than 80 reports were filed with the commission.