LAVAL, Que. – As clean-up crews set to work sorting through the aftermath of a collapsed overpass just north of Montreal, clearing the effects from Quebec’s road system could take significantly longer.

The sudden collapse of the De La Concorde overpass in Laval, Que. on Sept. 30 claimed the lives of five people, while injuring another six. Highway 19, which ran under the fallen overpass, was closed to traffic and remained closed while officials continued to investigate the cause of the structure’s failure.

Many commuters have taken to public transit to avoid traffic congestion, resulting from the road closures in the region.

Following the aftermath of the De La Concorde overpass, Quebec’s Ministry of Transport singled out 18 structures with similar design elements of the fallen overpass for an inspection. All passed the grade except for the De Blois overpass, which similarly also crosses over Hwy. 19.

The De Blois overpass runs parallel to the fallen De La Concorde overpass and both bridges were built in the 1970s utilizing the same design and structure.

The De Blois overpass will be removed and replaced once Transport Quebec gets the full results of an inquiry into the bridge failure. The overpass along with Hwy. 19 will remain closed until the De Blois overpass is completely removed.