JCCBI is an active member of Mobility Montréal and actively participates in various work coordination committees with all of Mobility Montréal’s partners to minimize the impacts of road and public transit projects on traffic.
The Champlain Bridge has reached the end of its service life and has to be taken down. Due to design problems with the original bridge, some structural components have deteriorated more quickly than expected. The weight of the bridge alone (dead load) accounts for 80% of the total load, while traffic (live load) only accounts for 20% of the total load.
Deconstruction work began in July 2020 and will end in January 2024, which means 43 months.
The overall envelope planned for the deconstruction project is $ 400 million and includes, among other things, deconstruction work ($225,7), environmental protection measures, the materials reuse program as well as the research and development program, in addition redevelopment of the shoreline at the end of the project (Héritage Champlain).
The bridge will be deconstructed and not demolished. This means that its components will be carefully taken apart to minimize the impact on the environment and the public. The exact deconstruction method is determined by the contractor, and the goal will be to create social, environmental and economic benefits in accordance with sustainable development principles.
Yes, JCCBI is conducting a targeted environmental analysis (TEA) to enhance the environmental study conducted by Infrastructure Canada in 2013 for the construction of the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, as this report also covered the deconstruction of the existing bridge.
As part of the Heritage Champlain program, JCCBI will ensure that the community has a historical legacy of this bridge. In addition, a Heritage Champlain co-design workshop was organized in December 2019 with citizens who had expressed their interest during the public consultations. The report of this workshop is online. More information to come on Heritage Champlain.
The Champlain Bridge had a big social and economic impact on the Greater Montreal landscape. JCCBI would therefore like to offer the public souvenirs to commemorate its significance. Details to come in 2023.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email us.
To follow how the work is progressing, simply visit the Deconstruction site page, where you can find live images, photos, information about the deconstruction methods, and the work schedule. You can also subscribe to the newsletter.
The materials will be transported and reused locally, near the project site, by specialized companies for each type of material.
JCCBI prioritized the environment and the quality of life for local residents. This choice requires meticulous deconstruction methods and prohibits faster methods such as blasting. With a focus on sustainable development, a project goal is to reuse the vast majority of the deconstructed materials. A materials management and reuse plan was developed to provide a framework for reuse and recycling options depending on the type of recovered materials. Overall, the Nouvel Horizon Saint-Laurent (NHSL) Corporation (the contractor for the project) is aiming to recover a minimum of 90% of all deconstruction materials from the original Champlain Bridge.
JCCBI is closely monitoring all nuisances (noise, vibrations or dust). NHSL is committed to upholding these criteria and has put everything in place to stay within these thresholds throughout the work. If necessary, NHSL will propose additional measures to ensure compliance with these criteria.
JCCBI launched an applied research program to significantly improve our knowledge of infrastructure performance and sustainability. The research program will be conducted in collaboration with different Canadian research bodies. JCCBI selected 12 research and development projects that will take place during the deconstruction.