Stretch of Highway 15 reopens after mishap in Turcot Interchange

A stretch of Highway 15 North has been reopened after a mishap involving a massive chunk of concrete during the dismantling of the Turcot Interchange overnight.

The highway was closed between the Bonaventure Expressway and the Turcot Interchange so crews could secure a crane that was involved in the incident.

Workers were taking apart the ramp for Highway 20 West from Highway 15 North, above the Lachine Canal, using a crane when the operator realized one of the cables couldn't support the load, according to Transports Québec spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun.

The piece of concrete that was being moved weighs more than 1,000 tonnes, she said. A snapped cable could be seen Thursday morning hanging from a nearby crane.

The crane's operator placed the piece of concrete onto a new part of the interchange that is not yet open.

"The operator was able to put it safely in place to make sure no one was injured, so he did a great job last night," she said.

The mishap is being explained as a mechanical issue, not human error, she added, saying they are nearing the end of the dismantling operation and the pieces that are left to take down are "quite heavy."

The stretch of Highway 15 North was closed for about an hour and a half as crews detached the piece of concrete from the crane and deposited it somewhere safe.

The Transport Ministry, as well as from KPH Turcot, the consortium building the project, will be sending representatives to the site to look into what happened, Bensadoun said.

The workplace health and safety board (CNESST) is sending two inspectors, but it's too early to say if they will launch an investigation, said spokesperson Julie Robitaille.

Road closures and traffic headaches

As part of an emergency plan that was put in place, St-Patrick Street was closed between de l'Église Avenue and Cabot Street in both directions, but reopened around 7:30 a.m.

That closure created traffic headaches in the area — St-Patrick is one of two suggested detours for motorists trying to access Highway 20 West from Highway 15 North. 

The ramp the crews were dismantling allowed drivers coming from the Champlain Bridge to head toward the West Island, but it was closed at the end of September.

A new link between the two highways is supposed to open by mid-December, but the dismantling operation has been halted.

It is unclear when it will restart and what impact the stoppage will have on that part of the project and other phases to come, Bensadoun said.