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Replacement coming for Montreal's Champlain Bridge and Bridge closure for repair

Started by ATLRedSoxFan, November 18, 2013, 08:55:14 AM

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Dr Frankenstein

It is not pretty at all. Everything was a mess this morning.

QuoteAdding an extra car on trains leaving and heading to Candiac and Mont St. Hilaire
HA. The Candiac trains are already exceeding their capacity (at least, based on the AMT's comfort standards), adding a car will have them barely meet the demand there is under normal circumstances.

webfil

Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on November 18, 2013, 11:10:25 AM
It is not pretty at all. Everything was a mess this morning.

QuoteAdding an extra car on trains leaving and heading to Candiac and Mont St. Hilaire
HA. The Candiac trains are already exceeding their capacity (at least, based on the AMT's comfort standards), adding a car will have them barely meet the demand there is under normal circumstances.

Well their "optimized rolling stock management" (which means in management terms "trainset length reduction policy" ― you don't need an MBA to understand that) is quite an epic insuccess. AMT lowered their comfort standards to a minimum average of 2 people standing/square metre (2 people/10 sq. ft.) over a 20-minute period of time before adding a car to a trainste.

I do not see myself (even though i'm quite slim) sharing that tight space in cars that were not built to accomodate standing people (with the exception of the newly-rebuilt 700-series).

A fifth car was already added to 700-series trainsets last week on Candiac line in compliance with that policy, and a sixth one has shown friday, marking the return of the 3000-series multilevel trainsets. Add on top of that supplementary car for the south shore train lines :

  • 3 additionnal metro cars on each of Line 4 trains (does that mean retrieving 2 trains from Line 1?);
  • Reopening of the Montréal-bound reserved lane on Champlain Bridge tomorrow morning (today was too windy, the cones marking the lane would have been swept away);
  • More park-'n-ride places at Chevrier and Panama bus terminuses in Brossard;
  • Buses allowed on left shoulder in order to bypass queues when entering A-15/20 from Bonaventure at Verdun/Wellington Street interchange;
  • Free OPUS Solo cards (Disposable RF cards loaded with transit tickets valid aboard all of the Greater Montréal systems) giveaway for motorists at some intersections;

  • Reversible Victoria bridge deck south shore-bound period extended from 14h to 20h (instead of 15h to 19h);
  • Reversible Jacques-Cartier bridge centre lane period extended on peaks and weekends;

  • Finish R-132/A-25/A-20 interchange ASAP (extend working periods=overtime $alary for workers);
  • Delay of Honoré-Mercier bridge and Louis-Hyppolite-Lafontaine bridge-tunnel lane closures needed for repairs.
Let's hope that this Champlain lane closure does not last as long as the whole Mercier closure in 2011. Those measures will be adjusted following congestion rates.


Dr Frankenstein

Quote from: webfil on November 18, 2013, 01:26:50 PMWell their "optimized rolling stock management" (which means in management terms "trainset length reduction policy" ― you don't need an MBA to understand that) is quite an epic insuccess. AMT lowered their comfort standards to a minimum average of 2 people standing/square metre (2 people/10 sq. ft.) over a 20-minute period of time before adding a car to a trainste.

I do not see myself (even though i'm quite slim) sharing that tight space in cars that were not built to accomodate standing people (with the exception of the newly-rebuilt 700-series).

That's what I was referring to. The 3000-series cars had a few standing passengers for a portion of the trip lasting less than 20 minutes on the most crowded commutes, when they reduced the trains to 4 cars.

Then they replaced the bi-level 3000's with the single-level 700's (the bi-levels can't handle the strong crosswinds on the CP's St. Lawrence River Bridge). Common sense indicated that they would make the trains longer to accomodate the same ridership. Well, apparently, the AMT has shown very little common sense under Nicolas Girard. The cars are crammed and packed to the brim, and I'll be stuck standing up for 25-30 minutes at a time before some seats are freed up (and most of the time I'm not quick enough to snatch one) with hard-to-reach grab poles, which exceeds the "optimized rolling stock management" policy they've been touting since this summer. (Their motto should be "do more with less, even if that means tossing service quality down the shitter")

The extra cars they've added last week alleviate the problem somewhat (the shitty 2 people / m², less than 20 min standard can actually be implemented with some discipline), since ridership has only increased marginally from the bridge closure so far, but I'm expecting it to get worse. Regardless, I hope that they will do the same thing as when Mercier closed two years ago: Make the service changes permanent.

ATLRedSoxFan

I know it's gonna happen, but hard to comprehend the Champlain coming down..

Duke87

The question is, is it going to come down when it gets torn down, or is it going to come down on its own before then? I don't know of any other major bridge in North America that's in such horrible shape. Even the Tappan Zee is better.

As for tolls on the new bridge... well, the existing bridge had them originally but they were removed after the construction bonds were paid off. I see no reason why FBCL can't do an ORT setup (although unlike with A-25 I doubt Americans will get to use it for free). My only concern then is that you'll throw traffic out of whack if you don't equally toll the other crossings.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: Duke87 on November 18, 2013, 10:38:49 PM
As for tolls on the new bridge... well, the existing bridge had them originally but they were removed after the construction bonds were paid off. I see no reason why FBCL can't do an ORT setup (although unlike with A-25 I doubt Americans will get to use it for free). My only concern then is that you'll throw traffic out of whack if you don't equally toll the other crossings.

Toll roads and toll crossings in Quebec need to be part of the E-ZPass IAG, even if they have to install dual-mode readers at the toll points and make some changes to their back-office operations.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

NE2

pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

ATLRedSoxFan

I can remember it being built when I was a little boy (I'm 55 now). They're ALWAYS working on that bridge. The Jaques Cartier is older and in better shape..

Dr Frankenstein

Quote from: NE2 on November 18, 2013, 11:38:57 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 18, 2013, 11:28:06 PM
Toll roads and toll crossings in Quebec need to be part of the E-ZPass IAG
[citation needed]
"Need to" as in "really really really really should." Come on, NE2.

AsphaltPlanet

It is too bad that the Chaplain bridge is in such poor condition.  I've always found it to be quite an attractive structure.

Something wasn't right in the construction industry in Montreal during the 1960s and 70s (and following the results of the Charbonneau Commission, it still might not be).  For example, the Turcot interchange was built after both the 401/400 interchange and 401/Allen Road interchange in Toronto, and while the Toronto examples have underwent maintenance in recent years, neither of them have reached the advanced state of decay that the Turcot or its surrounding interchanges have reached.

I hope Quebec's current government keeps up the upgrades that were undertaken by the previous Liberals.  IMO, Quebec's roads had improved quite drastically under Charest's tutelage.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

Brandon

Quote from: NE2 on November 18, 2013, 11:38:57 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 18, 2013, 11:28:06 PM
Toll roads and toll crossings in Quebec need to be part of the E-ZPass IAG
[citation needed]

Oh feck off.  It's an opinion, and it's also my opinion.  IMHO, all toll agencies across North America (including Mexico) should be a part of EZ-Pass and be interoperable.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

vdeane

Quebec and Ontario really need to join.  Nowhere else is there a non-interoperable transponder so close to E-ZPass territory.  And Quebec's situation is a huge mess as it is.  If the Champlain Bridge works out like the other toll crossings in the area, locals will need three different transponders to use all of them.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

aridawn

Quote from: vdeane on November 19, 2013, 01:16:50 PM
Quebec and Ontario really need to join.  Nowhere else is there a non-interoperable transponder so close to E-ZPass territory.  And Quebec's situation is a huge mess as it is.  If the Champlain Bridge works out like the other toll crossings in the area, locals will need three different transponders to use all of them.

I have been wishing for the same.  It wouldn't be difficult for 407ETR, as they use the same transponder manufacturer as EZ-Pass.

webfil

Away she goes : another outbound lane has been closed. The announce has been made at 22:33. This time it's the centre lane, leaving only one lane for movements towards the south shore.

That leaves 4 out of 6 lanes open to carry the expected 165 000 vehicles that should hit the bridge tomorrow. One issue is that temporary measures I listed previously will surely not handle 2 lanes closed on Champlain. Leaving the island tomorrow will be a pain in where-the-back-loses-its-name for motorists and commuters.

If you can read french : http://www.pontchamplainbridge.ca/pont-champlain-maintien-de-deux-voies-fermees-en-direction-de-la-rive-sud-vendredi-pour-une-inspection-speciale (the english version will follow shortly)

Dr Frankenstein


Stephane Dumas

I dust-off this thread by mentionning this video from 1988 who talked already about a replacement.

Pete from Boston


Stephane Dumas


AsphaltPlanet

^ That's incredibly disheartening.

I guess it's somewhat historically appropriate that the replacement Champlain Bridge be as shoddily constructed as the original.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

Richard3

Quote from: Stephane Dumas on December 04, 2017, 07:58:22 AM
I dust-off and bump this thread by mentionning these French articles who show some components from the new Champlain bridge, coming from Spain having already some troubles!
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2017/12/04/des-milliers-de-defauts-sur-le-nouveau-pont-champlain
http://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2017/12/04/des-milliers-de-defauts-sur-le-nouveau-pont-champlain-1

In Quebec, it's just business as usual!

Look at the Olympic Stadium!  Look at the construction of Montreal's St-Pierre Interchange, and the highway between Turcot Interchange and Champlain bridge, who were built with a 150-feet clearance over the Lachine Canal, that was officially closed some months later (but was in fact since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, many years ago).  Look at the Mirabel Airport!  It's always the same thing; politics make promises, and put them on hold until the last minute, making contractors to wait for decisions like vultures over their preys.  When the politics finally goes on, only the biggest are ready to quote (and now they do it into consortiums), and they charge the big price!  The final bill goes over all the craziest expectations, and quality is out of the process!
- How many people are working in here?
- About 20%.

- What Quebec highways and Montreal Canadiens have in common?
- Rebuilding.

States/provinces/territories I didn't went in: AB, AK, AL, BC, HI, KS, LA, MB, MN, MS, MT, ND, NL, NT, NU, RI, SD, SK, WA, WI, YT.  Well, I still have some job to do!



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