A section of Como Lake Avenue in Coquitlam was closed in both directions Friday after a massive concrete Evergreen Line guideway shifted above Clarke Road.
Amanda Farrell, the project director, said a temporary spacer on the columns on the southwest side of the intersection failed at around 1:30 a.m., causing the beam to fall and rotate.
"The beam itself and the columns are sound," she said. "The issue is with the spacers. The structural engineers are doing a thorough investigation of what happened."
She added that the guideway, which will eventually hold the tracks of the SkyTrain line, was not in any danger of falling onto the road. However, Clarke was immediately closed in both directions and a press release from the Ministry of Transportation stated it was expected to re-open before rush hour on Monday.
"We are doing a full investigation," she said. "We won't be opening Como Lake until we are confident the issues have been resolved."
The guideway that crosses Como Lake is longer and has a different curvature from the other spans along North Road, Farrell said.
Any additional costs that may result from Friday's shift of the beam would be paid for by the contractor, she added.
