Quebec overpass had signs of deterioration, engineer tells inquiry

An engineering expert says a Quebec highway overpass that collapsed had signs of deterioration that would have been visible before it came down last fall.

Eric Ouellet used photos of the de la Concorde overpass to point out marks on the outside of the structure that should have been examined.

He also testifiedThursdayat the inquiry in Laval, north of Montreal, that there were signs of erosion on the inside of the viaduct that he said would have come from the corrosion of steel used in the viaduct.

Five people died, including a pregnant woman, when the overpass collapsed onto the highway belowlast Sept. 30, and six others were injured.

Former Quebec premier Pierre Marc Johnson is heading the inquiry and his final report is expected Oct. 15.