The new Samuel de Champlain Bridge, one of Canada’s largest infrastructure projects, is officially open in both directions. Opened in 1962, the structure was degraded by de-icing salt. The federal government buckled to pressure from cycling groups, which had protested against plans to only open the path from mid-March to mid-December. Lake Champlain Bridge . In 2013, the JCCBI closed lanes to install a 75-tonne “super beam” to stabilize the Champlain after a crack appeared in an edge girder. Please try again. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Read more about cookies here. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Montreal’s new Samuel de Champlain Bridge opens northbound. 1962 The bridge opens, with a 25-cent toll. Lobster catch destroyed, vehicle burned as tension rises over Indigenous fishery in N.S. The new Samuel De Champlain Bridge finally has a definite opening date. Closing of the Multi-Use Pathway and the La Riveraine pathway on September 21 (5 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and September 22 (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.) The new Samuel De Champlain Bridge finally has a definite opening date. New Champlain Bridge will be completely open for Canada Day. "With approximately 50 million trips per year and $20 billion in goods passing over it annually, no effort was spared to make sure one of the busiest bridges in Canada remained operational and safe," she said in a press conference atop the old bridge. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. “We are turning a page of history,” said Sandra Martel, CEO of the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI). On Friday, federal Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced that the new bridge’s multipurpose path would be open to cyclists and pedestrians year-round. Listen and subscribe to get a weekly update with the newsmakers who matter. Even though dignitaries officially opened the new bridge on Friday, outbound lanes were closed for much of the long weekend, as was southbound Highway 15 between the Turcot Interchange and Brossard. He said the government has been focused on the health and safety of workers throughout the project, as well as the quality of the work, given that the new bridge is expected to last 125 years. Jean-François Parenteau, the mayor of the Verdun—Îles-des-Soeurs borough and a member of Montreal’s executive committee, paid tribute to its role in spurring development on Nuns’ Island and the South Shore. “The bridge has served us very well for all these years,” said Brossard Mayor Doreen Assaad. The Samuel De Champlain Bridge, colloquially known as the Champlain Bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge designby architect Poul Ove Jensen and built to replace the original Champlain Bridge over the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec between the Island of Montreal and the South Shore suburbs. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. “That’s what keeps you safe.”. Traffic will start flowing in the Montreal direction on Monday, June 24 — Quebec's national holiday — and lanes going toward the South Shore will open a week later, on Canada Day. © 2020 Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. New Samuel de Champlain Bridge officially inaugurated. Eugene Joseph Diabo, who worked on the construction of the old Champlain Bridge from 1959 to 1961, is seen Monday, July 1 on the bridge at a press event marking its permanent closure. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. And he promised the city would co-operate with the federal bridge authority on the deconstruction of the old bridge, scheduled to begin in the spring of 2020. Check back frequently to learn about the project's progress and its impact on the population. They included an emergency operation to install a 75-tonne superbeam to stabilize one of the bridge's girders when a crack was discovered in 2013, as well as 24/7 monitoring and countless lane closures and repairs. Drivers, rejoice: Montreal’s new Samuel de Champlain Bridge completely open. The new structure, which spans 3.4 kilometres, has three lanes in each direction for cars. It will take about three years to dismantle at an estimated cost of $400 million. Montreal's new Samuel De Champlain Bridge fully opened to traffic in both directions on Monday, while its predecessor was officially retired after 57 years of service. Martel praised the engineers and many other employees whose hard work and expertise kept the bridge functional until the new one was completed.