The contractor hired to rehabilitate a centenary bridge in Kingston, Ontario, which was demolished after the failed repair work He is demanding the federal government and an engineering firm that investigated the incident for more than $ 8 million.
But the contractor, Civil Gambor Infrastructures Inc. (LCI), It is in itself the objective of several demands, since the parties involved in the project try to recover the costs and point with the fingers on who is to blame.
The company alleges that the government is retaining the payment and “incorrectly” told thirdS lift bridge.
LCI argues that Sigma Risk, the company, brought to determine what caused the damage, “negligently” and “incorrectly” determined that he was to blame.
The actions of both the risk of Sigma and the federal government have harmed the reputation of LCI, made other works be lost and amounts to defamation, according to a claim statement filed on January 2.
LCI estimates its damage to $ 8,176,098.10 “and ascent,” according to the judicial document. As of February 10, neither Sigma Risk nor the federal government had submitted a declaration of defense.
When asked about demand, public services and the acquisition of Canada (PSPC), the government department that operated the bridge, sent CBC a statement of a line that said it is “You cannot comment on possible financial responsibilities or legal matters or aspects related to this incident.”
It is the same line that PSPC has been broadcasting from at least June in response to questions about what steps, if any, is being taken to hold someone responsible for what happened with the bridge.
Sigma’s risk declined to comment.
The road Connect the Kingston center with its eastern suburbs. Thousands of motorists cross it daily, including those who go to CFB Kingston and the Royal Military College in Canada.
The bridge was damaged on March 30, 2024 and demolished in June. He remained closed to traffic for more than six months before reopening in October. Losing the crossing meant daily traffic jams for travelers and losses estimated at millions for center companies and local tour operators.
Subcontractors say they have not been paid
Three subcontractors involved in the repair project are demanding separately to LCI, its president Derek Martin and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for a combined $ 1.6 million in alleged unpaid invoices and retained payments.
Hughson Barriers Inc., a company in the Kingston area that provides fencing links and railings, states that it is owed $ 59,726.47, while Amson Welding and Steel Ereche Erecting Inc., based in Ottawa, states that it comes out of $ 844,977.07.
Mammoet Canada Eastern Ltd., which provided the team that supported the heavy counterweight after damaging the bridge, is looking for $ 699,944.60.
Subcontractors claim that they have made several attempts to collect, all without success.
The contractor calls to damage the ‘Amson incident’
In his claim statement, Amson said that LCI “said” at the end of April that despite the bridge damaged a month before, the work would resume as soon as possible. Instead, the structure was demolished.
Each of the subcontractors argue LCI “liar, cheated knowingly and/or actively deceived”, resulting in a financial benefit for the company at its coast.
The accusations, including those of LCIS demand, it has not yet been tested in court.
The defense statements presented by the contractor deny that the plaintiffs are entitled to the amounts they claim, indicating the accusations that it acted in an inappropriate or liar “in fact, in fact it has no basis.” According to their contracts, LCI said the parties will not receive the payment while the federal government refuses to pay what it should.
In the case of Amson’s welding, LCI goes further, presenting a loss happiness that can suffer and argue that the subcontractor is the reason why the government is retaining the payment.
PSPC “concluded Amson’s work committed the structural integrity of the bridge,” says LCI’s statement. He adds that the defendants “have not had a breach of contract, without breach of trust, without oppression and no other error. It is Amson who is subject to LCI.”
In its various defenses, LCI refers to the damage to the bridge as the “Amson incident.”
7:35The documents shed light on what led to the collapse of the Lasalle Calzada bridge in Kingston
CBC obtained a report detailing some of the failures that led to the buckling of the bridge, which has caused massive traffic pain in Kingston for months.
As previously reported by CBC, Sigma Risk’s analysis found workers for the subcontractor who were commissioned to repair the deleted crossing of the steel cords that acted as a critical support both from the top and bottom of a steel armor that supported the mass counterweight of the bridge, weakening, weakening, weakening, weakening, weakening. less than half of its strength and causing the belt to open.
The document, obtained through access to information laws, concluded the deviation of the work procedure, breach of the instructions in the prescribed order, contributed to the bridge failure.
He also discovered that work lacked a “necessary step” and that the plans for the project would not show additional reinforcements would be needed after the supports were eliminated.
An Ampson spokesman previously told CBC that he had completed his work on the bridge “according to the approved specifications and procedures” provided by the contractor and the engineering firm that prepared the plans.
LCI says that ‘Canada is responsible’
Either the plans or the “Amson Incident “caused the bridge failure, according to two different arguments LCI He is trying to do, depending on the demand.
When defending, the contractor establishes PSPC found Amson’s The work was to blame for the buckling of the bridge. However, in your own $ 8 million claim, LCI He argues that the work procedure was followed correctly and that the damage to the section was the result of a “defect” in the plans themselves.
The contractor said he carried out the work as required, which implied the installation of provisional supports, eliminating the cords of both sides of the piece and then installing a new support system.
LCI alleges that Sigma Risks’s conclusion that he deviated from the work procedure was incorrect, and the decision to demolish the bridge and terminate his contract was based on an “incorrect determination that LCI was to blame for the buckling.”
The company also claims the day after the bridge failure, the project engineer “acknowledged” the burden of the part that failed was “significantly greater” than what was supposed, and the buckling was “the result of an error in the required procedure “.
That means that LCI is not the fault, the contractor argues, because it was the government that came up with the plan that resulted in the damage.
“The reality is that Canada is responsible,” concludes his statement.
