The consortium building the $3.2-billion Champlain Bridge in Montreal has sued Canada’s government for $93 million, claiming transportation officials gave it late notice of stricter load limits that could add to delay and make it liable for tens of millions of dollars in penalties, according to Canadian press reports and a stock analyst’s comments. A spokeswoman for the team’s lead firm, engineer-contractor SNC-Lavalin, confirms the March 28 filing in Quebec Superior Court but declined further comment. 

A penalty of more than $300,000 a day kicks in if the team, known as Signature Saint Lawrence, misses the Dec. 1, 2018, deadline for finishing work on the crossing, according to the National Bank Financial analysis. The project, a public-private partnership, faces a three-month delay due to the load  limits, said the bank report, citing a Montreal newspaper. That could result in a $27-million penalty over 90 days, the report estimates. Media say the load limits were not communicated until well into 2016, more than a year after construction began.