Ottawa now says new Champlain Bridge might not open until June

The new Champlain Bridge will open by the end of June 2019 at the latest, months after its expected completion date, according to the federal government.

The multi-billion-dollar bridge, which will link Montreal to the South Shore, was supposed to open Dec. 21.

While the main structure of the bridge will be done by the due date, other work can only be done after the winter.

There's a gap 37.5 metres wide that needs to be closed, and once that is done, which will likely be by mid-November, the bridge will essentially be finished.

But waterproofing and paving are dependent on warm weather, according to Federal Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne.

"I'm aware of the challenges this project is creating for those who live in the area, and I thank them for their understanding, and obviously, for their patience," he said.

The bridge's original opening date was Dec. 1, but it was pushed back by 20 days in April.

The project experienced delays through the late spring and summer due to unforeseen circumstances, including lightning striking a crane, which forced a three-day break, a crane operators' strike and a deadly heatwave.

Daniel Genest, director of co-ordination for Signature on the St. Lawrence (SSL), the consortium building the bridge, said when planning a project as complex as building a bridge, the weather is taken into account.

But the events that occurred between this April and September were exceptional, he said, and "placed additional pressure on the project schedule in such a way that we were unable to recover."

Champagne learned of delayed opening last month

The federal government's answers about whether the deadline would be met got increasingly vague in recent weeks.

Just last week, Champagne dodged reporters' direct questions about the bridge's completion date, choosing instead to commend the efforts of the workers.

At Thursday's news conference, Champagne said SSL had, in fact, informed him in late September that the Dec. 21 deadline was a no-go.

He said he asked for other opinions to see whether the work could be completed on time and determined it wasn't possible "without impacting the durability."

The new bridge has an expected lifespan of 125 years.

Champagne said he has spoken to the mayors of Montreal and Brossard to explain the situation and the mitigation measures that will be put in place.

What will be the consequences?

As part of the contract signed between the government and the consortium, Ottawa could fine SSL $100,000 for every day the bridge is late for the first week, and $400,000 daily after that, up to a maximum of $150 million.

Government lawyers will be looking at the terms of the contract to determine the financial and legal consequences, but Champagne said the penalties will be respected.

"There's no wiggle room whatsoever. Like I said, the contract is clear. We're going to be reviewing the terms and conditions of the contract and, trust me, we're going to apply it fairly, equitably."

But Genest suggested there is, indeed, some wiggle room. He said the consortium isn't planning to challenge the amount of the penalties but will try to negotiate what day they kick in because the delays are due to the aforementioned unforeseen circumstances.

Genest said the plan is to try to do as much of the waterproofing and asphalting as possible before Dec. 21.

There are techniques the workers can use to continue laying down the asphalt in the winter, but they are costly, he explained.

Depending on how quickly they are able to work, the bridge's opening could be moved up to a date earlier than June.

The existing Champlain Bridge opened in 1962 and will eventually be demolished. About $50 million was spent on maintaining the old bridge in 2018, Champagne said, and another $10 million of work will be done to ensure its safety until the new bridge opens.

Bumpy ride

When the consortium hired more workers to help speed up the process last year, it said the project was already six to nine months behind schedule.

In March 2017, SSL filed a lawsuit against the federal government, alleging it hadn't been forewarned that the existing bridge couldn't bear the weight required to transport important pieces to the worksite.

Instead, the consortium opted for marine and rail transport, which takes longer and therefore slowed down the progress.

The lawsuit was settled in April, and as part of the deal, the opening date was changed to Dec. 21.

The $4.2-billion price tag also increased by $235 million to cover the costs of the construction delays and transportation of the oversized parts.