Loss of integrity in underground city tunnel causes evacuation of Downtown Montreal
{{date|August 26, 2007}}

A one-inch settlement of the roof of [[w:The Bay|The Bay]] tunnel to the [[w:Montreal Metro|Montreal Metro]] caused authorities to evacuate 12 blocks of the [[w:Montreal|Montreal]] downtown core. 

Several people noticed water infiltration in the tunnel over the last few days. On Friday, August 24, at 1 p.m., while investigating another water infiltration incident, The Bay employees noticed that the ceiling of the tunnel portion of The Bay's basement sales area had descended one inch over a 7 meter length. They subsequently called [[w:Service de police de la Ville de Montréal|police]]. The police and [[w:Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal|firefighters]] evacuated the basement of the downtown Bay store. The police closed de Maisonneuve Boulevard from Aylmer Street to Union Street, over the area of the crack.

[[Image:Montréal - Métro McGill - 20050310.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The McGill Metro station. {{Image credit|Denis Jacquerye}}]]
At 4 p.m., firefighters evacuated the Parkade Montreal Building and The Bay Department Store after finding pieces of concrete falling from the Parkade Montreal structure, a multi-story carpark with five levels of offices on top. They also evacuated the downtown portion of the [[w:Line 1 Green (Montreal Metro)|Line 1 / Green Line]] of the Montreal Metro [[w:subway|subway]], from [[w:Lionel-Groulx (Montreal Metro)|Lionel-Groulx]] to [[w:Berri-UQAM (Montreal Metro)|Berri-UQAM]] stations, and evacuated the [[w:McGill (Montreal Metro)|McGill]] metro station, which is situated below The Bay tunnel. After consulting with city engineers, Centre 2001, the loading dock of the Bay and its Hertz car rental agency, [[w:Promenades Cathédrale|Les Promenades Cathedrale]] underground shopping centre and [[w:Tour KPMG|office tower]], and a neighbouring office tower to the Parkade were also evacuated. Police cordoned off an area from Bleury Street in the east to University Street in the west, and from [[w:Saint Catherine Street|Ste-Catherine Street]] in the south to President Kennedy Street to the north.

The closure of the Metro caused havoc to the Friday afternoon rush hour, as over 40,000 people regularly use the Green Line (Line 1) every day. [[w:Société de transport de Montréal|Montreal Transit Corporation]] workers issued directions during the day, though some may not have been informed of a provisionary bus service to replace the lost subway service. Loudspeakers announced that commuters should use the unaffected [[w:Line 2 Orange (Montreal Metro)|Orange Line (Line 2)]], which has lines between 5 and 10 blocks south of Line 1 (Green Line), and also connects to Lionel-Groulx and Berri-UQAM stations. 

The downtown area is intended to remain closed for at least the weekend, along with portions of the [[w:Underground city, Montreal|underground city, or RESO]]. The tunnel was built in 1966. For the last few days, city work crews have been working above the slab in question, digging a one meter trench to install a median and segregate a new bike path on de Maisonneuve Boulevard. The tunnel roof lies five meters below street level. 

Residents of Montreal are frustrated with the crumbling infrastructure in and around the city, including the [[w:De la Concorde Overpass collapse|collapse of the de la Concorde Boulevard overpass over Autoroute 19 expressway]] last year, the shattering of a column holding up the [[w:Quebec Autoroute 720|Autoroute 720 Ville Marie elevated expressway]] last month, and other incidents.

== Sources ==
{{wikipedia|Underground city, Montreal#Structural concerns, 2007 closure}}
*{{source|url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=8c820fb4-b9ef-42d7-aa3f-2de729468063&k=80190
|title=City core in chaos
|author=Ryan Bergen, Jason Magder and William Marsden, Max Harrold
|pub=The Gazette
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070825/CPACTUALITES/70825003/6730/CPACTUALITES
|title=Le centre-ville paralysé
|author=Sara Champagne, Bruno Bisson et Martin Croteau
|pub=La Presse
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=af5fdd5e-5f8e-4a5e-bd0e-778ebb2d5bef
|title=Crack in slab to blame
|author=Jason Magder
|pub=The Gazette
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=f9bf500d-5e61-46d6-ae74-6dcdcc3e9567&k=21500
|title=Confusion adds to rush-hour scramble
|author=Debbie Parkes, Ann Carroll and Ryan Bergen
|pub=The Gazette
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=823c7cc7-185b-4737-b613-4b98c4576412&k=37800
|title=Ejected from malls, waiting for answers
|author=Ryan Bergen and Max Harrold, Ann Carroll
|pub=The Gazette
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.canoe.com/infos/quebeccanada/archives/2007/08/20070825-065100.html
|title=Inquiétante fissure
|author=Vincent Larouche
|pub=Le Journal de Montréal
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/08/25/montreal-tunnel.html
|title=Workers reinforce cracked Montreal tunnel as downtown, Metro closures continue
|author=CBC News
|pub=CBC News
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070824/montreal_tunnels_070825/20070825?hub=CTVNewsAt11
|title=Mtl. streets remain closed amid tunnel concerns
|author=CTV News
|pub=CTV News
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070825/CPOPINIONS05/708250604/5050/CPPRESSE
|title=Patrick Lagacé: La gangrène
|author=Patrick Lagacé
|pub=La Presse
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070825/CPFRONTPAGE/70825036/5050/CPPRESSE
|title=Le maire Tremblay tente de rassurer la population
|author=Presse Canadienne
|pub=La Presse
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070825/CPACTUALITES/70825013/5050/CPPRESSE
|title=Affaissement au centre-ville: l'interdiction de circuler prévaut
|author=Presse Canadienne
|pub=La Presse
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070825/CPACTUALITES/708250602/5050/CPPRESSE
|title=Sérieux maux de tête pour les Montréalais
|author=Bruno Bisson, Mario Girard
|pub=La Presse
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070825/CPACTUALITES/708250603/5050/CPPRESSE
|title=Des ingénieurs travailleront sans relâche
|author=Martin Croteau
|pub=La Presse
|date=August 25, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070824/montreal_tunnels_070824?s_name=&no_ads=
|title=Mtl. downtown core shut down over cracked tunnel
|author=CTV News
|pub=CTV News
|date=August 24, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/08/24/collapse.html
|title=Risk of street collapse closes part of Montreal's core, including subway
|author=CBC News
|pub=CBC News
|date=August 24, 2007}}

== External links ==
* Montreal Gazette: [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/overpass/index.html# Falling Through the Cracks]

{{publish}}
{{archived}}

[[Category:Montreal, Quebec]]
[[Category:Quebec]]
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]

[[fr:Affaissement au centre-ville de Montréal]]
A one-inch settlement of the roof of The Bay tunnel to the Montreal Metro caused authorities to evacuate 12 blocks of the Montreal downtown core. 

Several people noticed water infiltration in the tunnel over the last few days. On Friday, August 24, at 1 p.m., while investigating another water infiltration incident, The Bay employees noticed that the ceiling of the tunnel portion of The Bay's basement sales area had descended one inch over a 7 meter length. They subsequently called police. The police and firefighters evacuated the basement of the downtown Bay store. The police closed de Maisonneuve Boulevard from Aylmer Street to Union Street, over the area of the crack.

The McGill Metro station. 
At 4 p.m., firefighters evacuated the Parkade Montreal Building and The Bay Department Store after finding pieces of concrete falling from the Parkade Montreal structure, a multi-story carpark with five levels of offices on top. They also evacuated the downtown portion of the Line 1 / Green Line of the Montreal Metro subway, from Lionel-Groulx to Berri-UQAM stations, and evacuated the McGill metro station, which is situated below The Bay tunnel. After consulting with city engineers, Centre 2001, the loading dock of the Bay and its Hertz car rental agency, Les Promenades Cathedrale underground shopping centre and office tower, and a neighbouring office tower to the Parkade were also evacuated. Police cordoned off an area from Bleury Street in the east to University Street in the west, and from Ste-Catherine Street in the south to President Kennedy Street to the north.

The closure of the Metro caused havoc to the Friday afternoon rush hour, as over 40,000 people regularly use the Green Line (Line 1) every day. Montreal Transit Corporation workers issued directions during the day, though some may not have been informed of a provisionary bus service to replace the lost subway service. Loudspeakers announced that commuters should use the unaffected Orange Line (Line 2), which has lines between 5 and 10 blocks south of Line 1 (Green Line), and also connects to Lionel-Groulx and Berri-UQAM stations. 

The downtown area is intended to remain closed for at least the weekend, along with portions of the underground city, or RESO. The tunnel was built in 1966. For the last few days, city work crews have been working above the slab in question, digging a one meter trench to install a median and segregate a new bike path on de Maisonneuve Boulevard. The tunnel roof lies five meters below street level. 

Residents of Montreal are frustrated with the crumbling infrastructure in and around the city, including the collapse of the de la Concorde Boulevard overpass over Autoroute 19 expressway last year, the shattering of a column holding up the Autoroute 720 Ville Marie elevated expressway last month, and other incidents.
Montreal, Quebec Quebec Canada North America Disasters and accidents