Olivia Chow, Member of Parliament from the #Toronto Trinity-Spadina riding, has condemned the Conservative government for failing to help fix the Gardiner Expressway. The highway seems to be crumbling and dropping concrete faster than a pigeon poops in the city!
Rust coloured spots show that the water and salt have reached the steel rebar
As the Federal Official Opposition Transportation Critic Ms Chow reacted after concrete fell on a car in early summer. Crumbling Gardiner: Federal Inaction Dangerous: As Gardiner Disintegrates and Concrete Chunks Hits Moving Car, Conservatives Refuse to Act (June 25, 2012).
TORONTO – After another concrete chunk fell off the Gardiner today – this time hitting a passing vehicle – NDP Transport and Infrastructure Critic Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) condemned the Conservative government for refusing to help fix the Gardiner Expressway.
“Loose concrete is falling from the Gardiner at an alarming rate, and every incident comes closer to seriously injuring a driver or pedestrian. Last time a chunk fell in front of a vehicle, this time a piece fell right on a moving car,” said Chow. “What is it going to take for the federal government to start paying attention? How bad are they willing to let the situation get?”
Last month Chow called on the government to show some leadership and work with the city and province to help fix Toronto’s crumbling Gardiner Expressway. The City of Toronto has estimated that repairs to the Gardiner could cost over $150 million. But Chow pointed out that not only aren’t they helping to solve the problem, Conservatives cuts are actually making it harder for cities like Toronto to keep up with aging infrastructure costs.
“By cutting $350 million from the green infrastructure fund, and replacing it with a much smaller $75 million program, cities are receiving less money to deal with their $123 billion infrastructure deficit,” said Chow. “Conservatives need to take responsibility for Canada’s decaying infrastructure. It’s about time the Transport Minister comes to Toronto to see the Gardiner for himself. I highly recommend he bring a helmet.”
TORONTO – After another concrete chunk fell off the Gardiner today – this time hitting a passing vehicle – NDP Transport and Infrastructure Critic Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) condemned the Conservative government for refusing to help fix the Gardiner Expressway.
“Loose concrete is falling from the Gardiner at an alarming rate, and every incident comes closer to seriously injuring a driver or pedestrian. Last time a chunk fell in front of a vehicle, this time a piece fell right on a moving car,” said Chow. “What is it going to take for the federal government to start paying attention? How bad are they willing to let the situation get?”
Last month Chow called on the government to show some leadership and work with the city and province to help fix Toronto’s crumbling Gardiner Expressway. The City of Toronto has estimated that repairs to the Gardiner could cost over $150 million. But Chow pointed out that not only aren’t they helping to solve the problem, Conservatives cuts are actually making it harder for cities like Toronto to keep up with aging infrastructure costs.
“By cutting $350 million from the green infrastructure fund, and replacing it with a much smaller $75 million program, cities are receiving less money to deal with their $123 billion infrastructure deficit,” said Chow. “Conservatives need to take responsibility for Canada’s decaying infrastructure. It’s about time the Transport Minister comes to Toronto to see the Gardiner for himself. I highly recommend he bring a helmet.”
The problem is that Canada battles the affects of our harsh winter climate by using salt on our roads. The salt water enters into voids and cracks in the concrete in the elevated roadway and interacts with the steel reinforcing rods that help to strengthen the concrete. The reinforcing rods start to rust and as the rust expands the concrete which is pushed out and eventually starts to break away. Wherever you see exposed rusting steel you know that the concrete has already broken away and fallen to the ground or carefully removed by work crews.
0 comments