Built at a cost of approximately $4 billion, the new
Champlain Bridge in Montreal, Que., will officially
open in June 2019, marking the end of the one of the
largest infrastructure projects undertaken in Canada.
It replaces an existing federally-owned bridge built in 1962
that’s become one of the busiest spans in North America.
Some 50 million cars, trucks and buses make the crossing
over the Saint Lawrence Seaway every year, leading to considerable
wear and tear on the old bridge and high maintenance
costs which helped drive the decision to build a new one.
Like its predecessor (which was named for the founder of
Québec City, Samuel de Champlain), the new cable-stayed
bridge represents a vital link in a major transportation corridor
for the shipment of cross-border goods between Canada
and the United States. The new Champlain Bridge is expected
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
to be used by up to 60 million motor vehicles a year and it’s
projected to have a service life of 125 years.
The new bridge features two three-lane corridors for
vehicular traffic as well as a two-lane transit corridor capable
of accommodating a planned light rail transit system. It also
includes a multi-use lane for pedestrians and cyclists.
BAUER Foundations Canada Inc. was instrumental in the
deep foundation work for the project, installing concrete piles
for the new 3.4-kilometre-long Champlain Bridge as well as
another smaller bridge, a 470-metre span to L’Île-des-Soeuers
or Nuns’ Island which is located in the St. Lawrence River.
The company was awarded a $16-million piling contract by
Signature on the St. Lawrence Construction, an international
consortium of companies that includes Montreal-based SNCLavalin,
the Spanish firm Dragados, and Colorado-based
Building
the New
Champlain
Bridge
How BAUER Foundations Canada
played a key role in the deep foundation
work required for Montreal’s multibillion
infrastructure project
By Mark Halsall
PHOTOS: BAUER FOUNDATIONS CANADA
PILING CANADA 59