Commuters shouldn't see rapid Highway 40 reopening as precedent, Quebec says
Transport Ministry says highway closure after explosion 'emergency situation' had to be addressed quickly
The rapid reopening of Highway 40's westbound lanes after Tuesday's tanker truck fire should not be seen as a precedent for the pace of other road work projects in the city, Quebec's Transport Ministry says.
Ministry spokeswoman Sarah Bensadoun said the closure of the lanes around St-Denis Street, following the fire and explosions, was an "emergency situation" given the roadway's importance as one of Montreal's primary traffic arteries.
"This is a very strategic area. We're talking over 200,000 vehicles a day. We wanted to do the work as fast as we can and make sure the structure was safe for road users," Bensadoun said.
The highway was closed after a collision involving four vehicles caused a tanker truck to catch fire and explode, killing the driver and injuring six others.
Less than 24-hour turnaround
It took ministry workers less than 24 hours to get the westbound stretch open once police completed their analysis of the scene and turned it over to Transports Québec.
Bensadoun said the operation involved more than 200 ministry personnel representing "every kind of expertise" and working in close co-ordination with city, police and fire officials.
"We started with tests — we took some samples in different areas and later that day it came out that there was no damage to the concrete," she said.
Asphalt damaged by the fire was stripped and resurfaced and temporary guard rails were installed to replace those that had been bent by the intense heat.
The three westbound lanes reopened at 6:30 a.m. Thursday.
Quebec's Transport Minister Jacques Daoust heralded the rapid completion of the work as the "best possible scenario."
Bensadoun, however, said Montreal commuters should not see that scenario as a pace-setting precedent for other road maintenance and development projects around Montreal.
"In this case, it was an emergency. In other projects, it's not the same situation," Bensadoun said.
"We have to analyze the traffic, we want to make sure we will not hinder the traffic in any way… So it's not the same process at all."