Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel | Already cracks in the new concrete

Cracks in the newly poured concrete of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel are worrying. The union, which claims to have alerted the government on several occasions, criticizes the poor quality of the product.

According to our information, these cracks have started to appear repeatedly in recent months. The situation makes some workers fear that the lifespan of the infrastructure, which is the subject of a vast renovation project until 2027, will be affected in the longer term.

At the Quebec Provincial Council of Construction Trades-International (CPQMC-I), the tunnel workers’ union, the government is criticized for turning a deaf ear.

“For the concrete to take its optimal setting, with the recipe of the current quotes, it is supposed to take around 25 days,” indicates the head of prevention and occupational safety at the Council, Philippe-Michel Lang. However, at the moment, we realize that it is only after 4 to 10 days. The concrete mixture matures too quickly. And this is what causes shrinkage cracks. »

He states that beyond the cracks, “we see a lot of water infiltration which enters through freshly poured walls”.

The latter deplores that Quebec does not change its ways despite several “red flags”. “We have a bunch of expert sources who have raised the issues with concrete, but they are never listened to. We just tell them to continue using the method imposed by the project,” he insists.

“The work is progressing at a good pace, yes, but at what cost? », asks Mr. Lang.

Same story with the Professional Association of Government Engineers of Quebec. “The reality is that we turn a blind eye to quality and are ready to accept that it costs a lot more to finish on time. And that’s how it is for many turnkey projects,” underlines the president of the union, Marc-André Martin.

Normal, Quebec retorts

By email, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) confirms having observed the same situation, but maintains that “it is normal for cracks to appear in new, fresh concrete”.

“The quality of the work is not compromised […] and interventions are planned for larger cracks. Throughout the work, rigorous quality control is carried out on the materials used,” notes ministry spokesperson Martin Girard.

He reminds in passing that “inspections are carried out and that an inspection will also be carried out at the end of the work”. “If deficiencies are detected, they must be corrected by the contractor,” adds the public relations specialist. The current consortium is made up of Dodin Campenon Bernard SAS, Eurovia Infra and Pomerleau.

The paint mixture that will be used has been “carefully designed to meet three objectives”, including the protection of concrete, adds Quebec. Said paint meets the “strictest quality and safety standards,” specifies the MTMD.

For transportation planning expert and lecturer at the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Montreal Pierre Barrieau, “the thing to do would be to take a break, then commission experts independent concrete workers, therefore engineers and chemists.

“We should definitely not reproduce the example of the Métropolitaine,” he indicates, in reference to the asphalt of part of the highway which was torn up due to bitumen used which was not “not good quality”.

“Here, if it is only cosmetic, we are talking about some additional finishing work, but if there are several water infiltrations, that raises a waterproofing issue,” adds Mr. Barrieau.

Where is the work progressing?

According to Martin Girard, the repair work on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel is “progressing well”. No further delays are expected. The end of the closure of three out of six lanes is still planned for fall 2026.

Work on the southbound tube is still scheduled to end next spring. The construction site will then travel in the tube in a northerly direction until the fall of 2026.

Concreting the central part in the traffic transfer zones will not be done until “the end of 2026 or in 2027”, the ministry cautiously indicates.

The reconstruction of the highway 25 roadway in both directions and the repair of structures in the Souligny interchange must be completed in 2025.