Jacques Cartier Bridge

About

The Jacques Cartier Bridge (French: pont Jacques-Cartier) is a steel truss cantilever bridge crossing the Saint Lawrence River from Montreal Island, Montreal, Quebec, to the south shore at Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. The bridge crosses Saint Helen's Island in the centre of the river, where offramps allow access to the Parc Jean-Drapeau and La Ronde amusement park. Originally named the Montreal Harbour Bridge (pont du Havre), it was renamed in 1934 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's first voyage up the St. Lawrence River. The five-lane highway bridge is 3,425.6 m (11,239 ft) in length, including the approach viaducts. The bridge is the third busiest bridge in Canada with approximately 35.8 million vehicle crossings annually, it is administered by the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), a Canadian Crown Corporation. The same entity owns and operates the Samuel-de-Champlain Bridge, just a few kilometres upstream, which is the busiest in Canada.

Discussions began as early as 1874 about the construction of a new bridge to alleviate the congestion on Victoria Bridge, which was then a rail-only bridge, the wintertime ice bridge and the ferries used to connect the city to its south shore. The decision to build the bridge was made official in 1924. The bridge was designed by engineer Philip Louis Pratley.

Construction was undertaken by the Dominion Bridge Company starting in 1925. On August 9, 1926, the cornerstone was laid, integrated into the pillar at the corner of Notre Dame Street and Saint Antoine Street, opposite the Pied-du-Courant Prison. The cornerstone contains a capsule with 59 items reflecting the year in which construction began. The bridge was constructed of steel at a cost of C$ 23 million, and the work lasted two and a half years.

The groundbreaking was held on May 26, 1925. Construction began immediately and the cornerstone was laid on August 9, 1926, on Pillar No. 26. The superstructure was built between September 1926 and September 1929. 33,267 tons of steel were needed for its construction. The work was completed about a year and a half ahead of schedule, without disrupting river traffic.

It opened to traffic on May 14, 1930, however the inauguration ceremony took place a few days later, on May 24. The bridge was inaugurated as the "Harbour Bridge" but was renamed "Jacques Cartier Bridge" in 1934, following a petition from citizens to honour the French-Breton explorer who described and mapped the St. Lawrence River valley in 1534.

The bridge was originally designed as a road, tramway, and pedestrian bridge. The original bridge had three lanes of road traffic and two sidewalks. Space in each direction was left free for the possible installation of two tramway lines. Tramway tracks were installed but never used. A parallel empty space used to exist to the right of the roadway in each direction, through which the bridge's girders could be seen.

The roadway was expanded by an additional traffic lane on the east side in 1956 and the west side in 1959 to include the space allocated to the tramway tracks, adding an extra lane of traffic in each direction and bringing the total capacity of the bridge to five lanes. The two sidewalks were outside the bridge proper.

To accommodate large ships using the new St. Lawrence Seaway, the span over the east channel of the river (the Warren truss ) was raised an additional 80 feet (24.4 m) (to 120 feet or 36.6 metres) in 1957 and 1958. Traffic flow over the bridge was uninterrupted by this construction, through the installation of two Bailey bridges.

Originally, the bridge was constructed with only one ramp to Saint Helen's Island, located on the western side of the bridge. In 1961, a second ramp was built on the east side to prevent cars traveling toward Montreal from having to cross the path of those heading toward Longueuil in order to access St. Helen's Island, a major source of accidents.

During 2001 and 2002 the entire deck of the bridge was replaced. The sidewalks were also widened to a width of 8-foot (2.44 m), and the sidewalk on the western side of the bridge was made a bike path.

In 2004, the bridge authority installed a suicide prevention barrier. Until then the bridge saw an average of 10 suicides a year.

There are four 3-metre (9.8 ft) [ citation needed ] high finials, at the four high-points of the bridge, as architectural ornaments. Their shape resembles the Eiffel Tower without being a replica.

Discussions began as early as 1874 about the construction of a new bridge to alleviate the congestion on Victoria Bridge, which was then a rail-only bridge, the wintertime ice bridge and the ferries used to connect the city to its south shore. The decision to build the bridge was made official in 1924. The bridge was designed by engineer Philip Louis Pratley.

was undertaken by the Dominion Bridge Company starting in 1925. On August 9, 1926, the cornerstone was laid, integrated into the pillar at the corner of Notre Dame Street and Saint Antoine Street, opposite the Pied-du-Courant Prison. The cornerstone contains a capsule with 59 items reflecting the year in which construction began. The bridge was constructed of steel at a cost of C$ 23 million, and the work lasted two and a half years.

The groundbreaking was held on May 26, 1925. Construction began immediately and the cornerstone was laid on August 9, 1926, on Pillar No. 26. The superstructure was built between September 1926 and September 1929. 33,267 tons of steel were needed for its construction. The work was completed about a year and a half ahead of schedule, without disrupting river traffic.

It opened to traffic on May 14, 1930, however the inauguration ceremony took place a few days later, on May 24. The bridge was inaugurated as the "Harbour Bridge" but was renamed "Jacques Cartier Bridge" in 1934, following a petition from citizens to honour the French-Breton explorer who described and mapped the St. Lawrence River valley in 1534.

The bridge was originally designed as a road, tramway, and pedestrian bridge. The original bridge had three lanes of road traffic and two sidewalks. Space in each direction was left free for the possible installation of two tramway lines. Tramway tracks were installed but never used. A parallel empty space used to exist to the right of the roadway in each direction, through which the bridge's girders could be seen.

The roadway was expanded by an additional traffic lane on the east side in 1956 and the west side in 1959 to include the space allocated to the tramway tracks, adding an extra lane of traffic in each direction and bringing the total capacity of the bridge to five lanes. The two sidewalks were outside the bridge proper.

To accommodate large ships using the new St. Lawrence Seaway, the span over the east channel of the river (the Warren truss ) was raised an additional 80 feet (24.4 m) (to 120 feet or 36.6 metres) in 1957 and 1958. Traffic flow over the bridge was uninterrupted by this construction, through the installation of two Bailey bridges.

Originally, the bridge was constructed with only one ramp to Saint Helen's Island, located on the western side of the bridge. In 1961, a second ramp was built on the east side to prevent cars traveling toward Montreal from having to cross the path of those heading toward Longueuil in order to access St. Helen's Island, a major source of accidents.