Construction Decline: Three Blue Line metro stations closed in Montreal

Three stations on the Montreal Metro Blue Line were closed indefinitely Thursday evening after the STM discovered significant structural damage at the entrance at Saint-Michel station.

No trains will stop at Fabray, d'Iberville and Saint-Michel stations until further notice.

“This is not an hour or two-hour closure, we're talking about a multi-day closure,” said STM spokeswoman Amelie Regis.

Engineering teams identified “significant deterioration of some of the main beams above the pedestrian bridge” of the main entrance to Saint-Michel station, which is currently under repair.

Amelie Regis said there was a “need to take action” when she ordered three stations to close earlier in the evening. In the coming days, in-depth analysis should be done to determine the structural works.

No structural problems were found at Fabray and d'Iberville stations, but the latter also had to be closed for logistical reasons.

A bus service (line 809) has been established between Saint-Michel and Jean-Talon stations on Thursday evenings. The shuttle stops at every metro station on this section of the Blue Line and is available in both directions.

There are several STM employees near Jean-Talon station to guide public transport users to buses designated for the occasion. Newspaper.

“STM personnel are already in place and will be available in the coming days to support customers on their journeys,” STM confirmed in a press release.

STM will hold a press conference at Saint-Michel station on Friday morning to report on the latest developments.

The incident occurred as the STM received a confirmation of funding shortfalls for its asset maintenance and universal accessibility projects, within the framework of the Quebec government's Quebec Infrastructure Plan.

“Despite STM's requests and representations, the regional government has not granted any additional credit in the region from 2022. To avoid an increase in our investment deficit, $560M per year is needed to ensure maintenance assets and aging infrastructure. Its useful life is nearing its end,” the public transport agency asserted. .

– With QMI Agency