Service on métro’s Green Line resumes after tunnel cracks discovered
After a shutdown Monday night that saw service stopped between the Lionel-Groulx and Frontenac stations, the Société de transport de Montréal announced early Tuesday that service had been restored on the Green Line.
In a statement issued issued early Tuesday, the STM said that “after more than six hours of examination, the deterioration of the concrete was found to be superficial and the integrity of the (tunnel) is not in question.”
The transit authority said the damaged concrete had been removed to eliminate any risk of its falling and it had informed the city of Montreal that was no longer necessary to close de Maisonneuve Blvd. between St-Laurent Blvd. and Berri St. to heavy vehicles as a precaution.
The STM said there was no immediate danger to the rest of the métro network and that inspections of all tunnels had been ongoing for the past few years.
The STM said Monday evening that examination of a water leak in the tunnel lead to the discovery of cracks in the tunnel between the Berri-UQAM and St-Laurent stations. That development led to the shut down being announced.
On Twitter Monday evening, the STM told riders to “plan your trip tomorrow and allow extra time.”
Plante, who is on an official visit to Europe, took to social media on Monday night to reassure riders.
“We are in direct contact with STM and (Transport Quebec) teams to restore service to the Green Line as quickly as possible,” she said. “The safety of users and the population is our priority and everything is being done to ensure it.”
There are 11 stations between Lionel-Groulx and Frontenac, most of them in downtown Montreal.
The STM said it put a shuttle service in place as of 5 p.m. between Lionel-Groulx and Frontenac stations, with buses stopping at every station between in both directions.
“Our teams are hard at work providing a shuttle service in both directions throughout the evening,” said Éric Alan Caldwell, a city councillor who is chairperson of the STM’s board.
The STM said its personnel were positioned on Monday “at strategic locations to direct customers to the Orange Line and the temporary surface service.”
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This story was originally published April 24, 2023 at 5:58 PM.
