Crown corporation reassures Montreal that the Champlain Bridge is safe

Aug 16 2018, 10:05 pm

In the face of the devastating collapse of an Italian overpass in Genoa on Tuesday, The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) has issued a statement reassuring the public that the Champlain Bridge is “reinforced, safe, stable and monitored.”

The Champlain Bridge, Montreal’s busiest, is the main entrance to the city with nearly 60 million crossings every year. JCCBI is putting every effort into making sure users can safely cross the bridge until it is decommissioned.

Opened in 1962, the Champlain Bridge has suffered premature degradation caused by corrosion due to its lack of an adequate drainage system and the elongated use of salts.

The degradation has affected the girders on both sides of the bride. According to the report, 31 of the bridge’s 39 caps have been reinforced and the eight remaining caps will be put in place by September.

335 sensors have also been installed to constantly monitor the bridge’s behaviour. Any unusual instances on the bridge can be reported instantly and JCCBI teams can respond quickly.

“Since the deployment of our edge girder and pier cap reinforcement program, the sensors which continuously monitor the behaviour of this structure, confirm that the Champlain Bridge is very stable,” says Glen P. Carlin, engineers and CEO of JCCBI. “In addition to the monitoring and reinforcement measures deployed, we carry out quarterly inspections on the Champlain Bridge, which we are vigilantly managing,” added Carlin.

The new Champlain Bridge is slated to open to vehicular traffic on December 21, 2019.

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