New infrastructure minister eyes ways to speed up Champlain bridge work
OTTAWA — Canada’s new infrastructure minister says he plans to meet with the people overseeing construction of a new $4.2-billion bridge in Montreal to figure out if — and how — the project can be done on time.
The Champlain Bridge project is supposed to be completed this December.
A May report from the federal auditor general raised doubts about whether the construction consortium could have work done by Dec. 21, and a strike by crane operators in June has further pressed construction timelines.
Newly appointed Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he is not sure work can be accelerated enough through the summer construction season to make up for lost time, and he won’t know for certain until after meeting with all involved.