OC Transpo says it expects to reopen the eastern end of the Confederation Line around 3 p.m. after more loose concrete was found in the St-Laurent station’s ceiling Tuesday morning.
Trains stopped between Tremblay and Blair stations around 9 a.m.as a contractor looked over a section of the ceiling, according to the third in a series of memos from transit leadership.
A fourth memo around 2:20 p.m. said a planned inspection found concrete delamination — when concrete splits into layers — over the tracks. The contractor chipped the loose concrete away to address the issue, according to the memo.
Until full service resumes, R1 replacement buses are running between Hurdman, Tremblay, St-Laurent and Blair stations, with the usual shuttle buses connecting Cyrville station to St-Laurent.
Earlier on Tuesday, trains had been running about every 15 minutes between Blair and St-Laurent stations to facilitate closing one of the two St-Laurent platforms, with R1 buses on that same stretch of line.
‘Urgent’ repairs put off
Previous problems with the ceiling over St-Laurent station included debris falling onto tracks in January and “disrupted” ceiling tiles in May.
CBC later learned through a freedom of information request that some ceiling panels found littered with concrete chunks were being supported by “detached” and “heavily corroded” metal framing, directly above platforms where passengers waited for trains.
CBC News discovered some problem spots labelled “urgent” back in 2020 weren’t patched up until this year, after concrete fell. The city also skipped a full inspection of the tunnel structure when it was due in 2022, citing major construction on the bus station above.
The tunnel was used for buses before being converted for the LRT, which opened in 2019. The 2022 public inquiry found the Confederation Line was rushed into service.
Among the work planned during a series of closures was a tunnel inspection at the station. On Tuesday, OC Transpo said that inspection is ongoing and more will be revealed at a future transit commission meeting.