Guy Archambault says the memory of the Concorde overpass collapse is as vivid as if it happened yesterday. “It’s like a nightmare,” said the retired chief of operations at the Laval fire department. The Boulevard de la Concorde over Highway 19 in Laval collapsed on Sept. 30, 2006, at 12:37 p.m. Five people were killed, including a pregnant woman. Six others were injured. Archambault was one of the first to arrive at the scene. “The first thing we saw was the cloud of dust. It was foggy,” he said. “We found a motorcyclist trapped in the cement debris. He wasn’t moving.” A 20-metre slab of concrete fell onto the highway below. Pieces of the 40-year-old structure had been falling an hour before the collapse, but the road stayed open. No one mentioned anything to drivers. Twenty years later, Archambault says he is still traumatized by what he saw. “If I’m under a bridge, I’m not really comfortable,” he said. Public inquiry found flaws in design and oversight A public inquiry found the overpass was poorly designed and built with concrete that could not withstand Quebec’s freeze-thaw cycles and road salt. It also concluded that a “build and forget” culture had taken hold at Transport Quebec for far too long. At the time, 135 bridges were flagged for demolition or urgent repair. Transport Quebec told CTV News that things have improved, with tighter design rules and more frequent inspections. It added that the share of structures rated in good condition has climbed from 58 per cent in 2008 to 78 per cent today. That said, no one was ever held responsible for the collapse. Quebec’s Order of Engineers said there was not enough evidence and too much time had passed. Those involved are either dead or too old to be brought to justice, according to the order. The overpass was rebuilt less than a year later. Plaque to honour victims to be unveiled on 20th anniversary The incumbent MNA for Mille-Îles says a commemorative plaque for the five victims will be unveiled on Wednesday. Virginie Dufour says it will be the first official ceremony held since the collapse. “[They need] to know they will never be forgotten,” said Dufour, after speaking with the families of the victims. Dufour, who was first elected in 2022, says residents have been asking for a plaque since that year. She adds she reached out to various transport ministers over the years, asking for one to be placed near the site of the collapse, but never received a reply. She then commissioned the plaque, which was paid for by her campaign. “When the families saw the plaque for the first time, it was so emotional for them,” said Dufour. The overpass belongs to Transport Quebec, which says a plaque on its land is not an option. “The ministry is sensitive to the need expressed by the bereaved families to have a place of reflection near the site of the tragedy,” it said in a statement to CTV News. “However, it is not the ministry’s practice to erect plaques or monuments to mark the sites of events.” Transport Quebec added that road structures, including the Concorde overpass, “generally do not present the safety conditions required to allow users to stop to view a memorial.” The ceremony, in collaboration with the Société d’histoire et de généalogie de l’île Jésus, will take place Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Jules-Verne school in Laval.
