Construction on a small footbridge in Verdun has come to a halt just as the finishing touches were being made.



There’s an unlikely major structural problem: the bridge's supports don't rest on the bridge's foundation.

The Claude Brunet Bridge was built last year at a cost of $4.5 million. Despite the fact that construction crews left months ago, the bridge remains off limits, because it’s unsafe.



Projet Montreal city councillor Sterling Downey wants answers.



“What I'd like to know as a councillor is who made the error, where was the error made and who's going to cover the cost to rectify the error?” he said.

The city can't say right now whether the problem was with the design or the construction.

In addition to the $4.5 million the city spent to demolish the old bridge and build the new one, tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on other contracts related to the bridge.

The latest, approved just last month, is an additional $40,000 for engineering consultants to review and modify the original bridge design.



“I'd like to know who's going to be held accountable and responsible because at the end it shouldn't be our taxpayers paying. That would only being adding insult to injury,” said Downey.

No one from the city of Montreal was available for an on-camera interview but in a phone conversation, a spokesperson for the city said it's impossible to say when this bridge will finally open to the public.

The bridge crosses the aqueduct and provides a link for pedestrians and cyclists between Angrignon Park to the north and the Douglas Institution to the south.

The worksite has been vacant for months.



Many people thought the bridge was safe to use, said Downey, who took photos when the work fence was knocked down and people used the bridge.

The fence was re-erected, but it's far from secure.

What bothers Downey even more is what he considers a feeble attempt to secure the fence.



“They're using tie-wraps to secure the fence. They're plastic. If it's not safe, how is this any safer?” he said.

Until the structural problem is fixed, the brand new bridge will remain off limits.