Montreal: Champlain Bridge Opening Postponed to June 2019

[Richard3]

As I predicted even before they inaugurated the work site, the delivery of the new Champlain Bridge, over the St. Lawrence River, between Montreal and Brossard, will be postponed to spring 2019.

Federal minister of Infrastructure, François-Philippe Champagne, announced that the bridge structure will be ready on time, but it will not be possible to put asphalt and to waterproof the road surface, due to winter's cold and humid weather.  So the surface will be done on next spring, at the latest by the end of June of 2019.

The old Champlain Bridge will remain open, and maintained in condition until the opening of the new bridge.

[ATLRedSoxFan]

It will be nice once complete. But I'm not surprised, it's Quebec after all.

[Richard3]

In Quebec, you'll give government the Sahara, and they will turn shortly out of sand! 

Even if the Champlain Bridge is a federal work, the MTQ (Quebec's DOT) posts some restrictions, like beam transportation, for example; the contractor had to carry beams by the river, instead than by the road.  Add to that some strikes (gov't engineers, construction workers, and crane operators), and you have the exact recipe of a fiasco!

[webfil]

you have the exact recipe of a fiasco!

A $ 4,240,000,000 rail and road bridge, not created ex-nihilo but very next to the one it replaces in a heavily populated, circulated and navigated area, completed under 4 years of contract awarding is not exactly a fiasco. It is, to the contrary, a quite refreshing success ― to say the least.

[AsphaltPlanet]

The only thing that I'm a bit concerned about the new bridge are some of the allegations of quality problems.  There are always issues that arise during the construction of any major project, but some of the media coverage hasn't painted a pretty picture.

Some of these design-build projects can be prone to problems.  I remember the defective welds on the Windsor Essex Parkway for example, where half the bridge girders needed to be demolished and replaced because they didn't meet the Ontario Bridge Code.

[Richard3]

you have the exact recipe of a fiasco!

A $ 4,240,000,000 rail and road bridge, not created ex-nihilo but very next to the one it replaces in a heavily populated, circulated and navigated area, completed under 4 years of contract awarding is not exactly a fiasco. It is, to the contrary, a quite refreshing success ― to say the least.

All depends to what you compare to; the Decarie expressway bears 21 overpasses that were built within four months, in 1967. When they rebuilt them, around the 2000s, it took close to four years!  It's sure that they have to maintain traffic; that very specification can definitely extend delays on a work site.  But the new Champlain Bridge is built besides the actual bridge, so the traffic was not so much affected.  I may understand that workers - and public - safety issues also extend building delays, but I believe that if the willing is there, roadworks can be much faster that what we see nowadays.

[vdeane]

How long did the current Champlain Bridge take?

[ATLRedSoxFan]

Construction on the bridge began in 1957 and opened in 1962.

[MikeTheActuary]

The new bridge now has its own (slightly different) name:  Pont Samuel-de-Champlain

French: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/12/18/le-nom-du-nouveau-pont-champlain-maintenant-connu
English summarization: http://www.iheartradio.ca/cjad/news/new-champlain-bridge-to-be-named-samuel-de-champlain-bridge-1.8624242

[webfil]

The new bridge now has its own (slightly different) name:  Pont Samuel-de-Champlain

French: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/12/18/le-nom-du-nouveau-pont-champlain-maintenant-connu
English summarization: http://www.iheartradio.ca/cjad/news/new-champlain-bridge-to-be-named-samuel-de-champlain-bridge-1.8624242

The right hyphenation and capitalisation is "Samuel-De Champlain", as De Champlain is a nobility title.

[MikeTheActuary]

The right hyphenation and capitalisation is "Samuel-De Champlain", as De Champlain is a nobility title.

Looks like there was a typo in the original story, which propagated.  That, or, Quebec is getting carried away with its hyphens.

A subsequent (French language) article loses the extra hyphen: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/nouveau-pont-champlain-le-ministre-des-transports-federal-content-de-lavancement-des-travaux

They're apparently less than a meter away from the "north" and "south" sides of the bridge meeting.  From what I could see driving across the old bridge this morning, there's still one small stretch (less than 100 meters) of deck to be built, and contractors vehicles could be seen on the "north" side of the bridge most of the way to the tower of the bridge.

[Beltway]

Harsh Conditions Put Team to the Test on Champlain Bridge
https://www.enr.com/articles/46112-harsh-conditions-put-team-to-the-test-on-champlain-bridge

Excerpts:

Designed to last 125 years despite its location in a harsh natural environment where it is part of a key international trade corridor, the Champlain Bridge will also add to Montreal's skyline with its unusual asymmetrical cable-stayed span. The $3.1-billion project required vertical access engineering and designs for a variety of conditions, including seismicity, wind loads, ice loads, scour and the need to accommodate a future transitway.

The project–which includes another 5 kilometers of highway expansions and improvements along with the 3.4-km-long bridge over the St. Lawrence River–has been beset by challenges such as extreme winters, governmental changes and a crane operators' strike. Signature on the Saint Lawrence (SSL), a consortium comprising SNC-Lavalin, ACS and Hochtief, faces penalties from owner Infrastructure Canada for missing its scheduled Dec. 21 completion, but it hopes to complete the bridge by next summer, and the team is in discussions with Infrastructure Canada about the penalties (ENR 11/5-12 p. 14). The contract calls for the consortium to build, operate and maintain the bridge for 30 years, but a new government in 2015 canceled the bridge tolls, so discussions about revenue are ongoing as well.

"We had a 42-month schedule, but only 30 months of good weather,"  says Daniel Genest, project director with SSL. He adds that the 16-day crane operator strike in June also had a ripple effect on construction progress.

When completed, the bridge will connect the South Shore suburbs to Montreal with two three-lane corridors for traffic, a two-lane transit corridor and a separate pedestrian/bike path. It will handle 60 million vehicles a year [about average 164,000 per day] and support approximately $15 billion in U.S.-Canada trade. It replaces a 6-km-long steel truss bridge with concrete approach viaducts that opened in 1962 and has deteriorated due to deicing salts and inefficient drainage. "It cost up to $100 million a year just to maintain the old bridge,"  says Guy Mailhot, chief engineer with Infrastructure Canada.

See URL for rest of article, and construction photo.

[Alps]

AADT of 164,000 and they're only building 3 lanes each way? What a waste.

[Beltway]

AADT of 164,000 and they're only building 3 lanes each way? What a waste.

Includes a 'two-lane transit corridor' as well.  Wonder if that is a HOV/busway.

The 'it will handle' may be an unclear way of stating the design year, i.e. 20 years or more in the future.

ENR is more of a journalistic publication for the engineering and construction industry, than an engineering publication, despite its name.

[MikeTheActuary]

Includes a 'two-lane transit corridor' as well.  Wonder if that is a HOV/busway.

The bridge will apparently carry:

• Six general purpose lanes (3 north/3 south)
  
• Two transit lanes (bus, REM)
  
• Bike/pedestrian path

...versus the current six lanes total (one restricted to buses during commute hours).

Pre-construction AADT for the main span was 150k.  To me, that traffic level seems to beg for more lanes (although...how do you plan with traffic levels in mind for a bridge that is supposed to last at least 125 years), but considering the local push to transit, and the fact that funding hasn't been completely sourced since plans to toll the bridge were axed....

(*sigh*  I wish they would hurry up and finish the work needed to restart the Montrealer rail service.)

[vdeane]

Meanwhile, the Tappan Zee carries "only" 139k and the new bridges will have eight general purpose lanes (4 east/4 west), two bus lanes, and a multi-use path once the westbound span is done.  IMO the new Champlain Bridge should have been the same... major missed opportunity here!

[Alps]

Meanwhile, the Tappan Zee carries "only" 139k and the new bridges will have eight general purpose lanes (4 east/4 west), two bus lanes, and a multi-use path once the westbound span is done.  IMO the new Champlain Bridge should have been the same... major missed opportunity here!

And that was exactly my point. The south shore is very constrained by capacity into Montreal, especially when an incident closes any bridge.

[Beltway]

Meanwhile, the Tappan Zee carries "only" 139k and the new bridges will have eight general purpose lanes (4 east/4 west), two bus lanes, and a multi-use path once the westbound span is done.  IMO the new Champlain Bridge should have been the same... major missed opportunity here!

And that was exactly my point. The south shore is very constrained by capacity into Montreal, especially when an incident closes any bridge.

The Champlain Bridge is part of an urban radial freeway with a high directional split, and will have 5 lanes in the direction of peak traffic?  Is that the case?  If so then more AADT might be handled and tolerated in a case like that.

The Tappan Zee Bridge is part of an outer belt freeway and 139 thousand AADT is very high for such a facility.

[Alps]

Meanwhile, the Tappan Zee carries "only" 139k and the new bridges will have eight general purpose lanes (4 east/4 west), two bus lanes, and a multi-use path once the westbound span is done.  IMO the new Champlain Bridge should have been the same... major missed opportunity here!

And that was exactly my point. The south shore is very constrained by capacity into Montreal, especially when an incident closes any bridge.

The Champlain Bridge is part of an urban radial freeway with a high directional split, and will have 5 lanes in the direction of peak traffic?  Is that the case?  If so then more AADT might be handled and tolerated in a case like that.

The Tappan Zee Bridge is part of an outer belt freeway and 139 thousand AADT is very high for such a facility.

No that is not the case. It will only have 3 lanes being utilized. Transit does not put an appreciable dent in AADT. The new bridge needs 4 per direction.
As for 287, it also carries the NY Thruway mainline to NYC. 8 lanes is not overkill at all.

[kphoger]

Includes a 'two-lane transit corridor' as well.  Wonder if that is a HOV/busway.

The bridge will apparently carry:

• Six general purpose lanes (3 north/3 south)
  
• Two transit lanes (bus, REM)
  
• Bike/pedestrian path

...versus the current six lanes total (one restricted to buses during commute hours).

Are you saying that one of the "lanes" being counted is for light rail?

[Beltway]

The Champlain Bridge is part of an urban radial freeway with a high directional split, and will have 5 lanes in the direction of peak traffic?  Is that the case?  If so then more AADT might be handled and tolerated in a case like that.
The Tappan Zee Bridge is part of an outer belt freeway and 139 thousand AADT is very high for such a facility.

No that is not the case. It will only have 3 lanes being utilized. Transit does not put an appreciable dent in AADT. The new bridge needs 4 per direction.
As for 287, it also carries the NY Thruway mainline to NYC. 8 lanes is not overkill at all.

The Tappan Zee Bridge carries both I-87 and I-287; the outer belt freeway, and like you say the NY Thruway mainline which serves as a radial freeway also.  Given the amount of long-distance traffic as well as large truck percentage, 139 thousand AADT does warrant 8 lanes.

Is the Champlain Bridge 2-lane transit roadway going to carry HOV/busway?  If so that could handle substantial VPD as well as passengers.

[froggie]

Transit does not put an appreciable dent in AADT.

This is the case in most of the U.S.  But it does make an appreciable dent in Montreal's traffic.  Giving the multitude of packed peak-hour buses their own lane instead of taking from an existing lane will improve capacity on the new Champlain Bridge.

[vdeane]

But is it enough?  150k is a LOT for only three lanes each way, and the Montréal area is growing.  Not to mention, it also carries the A-10/15/20 triplex, and is part of one of only two toll-free ways to get through the metro area (the other being the perpetually congested Metropolitan - Canada's equivalent of the Cross-Bronx Expressway).

[Beltway]

But is it enough?  150k is a LOT for only three lanes each way, and the Montréal area is growing.  Not to mention, it also carries the A-10/15/20 triplex, and is part of one of only two toll-free ways to get through the metro area (the other being the perpetually congested Metropolitan - Canada's equivalent of the Cross-Bronx Expressway).

What about the Victoria Bridge and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, the two other St. Lawrence River bridges that connect to the urban core of Montreal?  Definitely very aged bridges.  If there is a plan to eventually upgrade (widen, parallel or replace) one or both, then that could be part of the decision on the width of the new Champlain Bridge.

Need to consider the approaches of the Champlain Bridge as well.  If they were to build a 10- or 12-lane bridge, then they need equally capacious approach freeways to take full advantage of the size of the bridge.  Given on how urbanized that area is it looks rather difficult to widen those freeways beyond 6 lanes, maybe to 8 lanes, but then the new bridge will be able to throw 5 lanes in the direction of peak traffic.

[Alps]

But is it enough?  150k is a LOT for only three lanes each way, and the Montréal area is growing.  Not to mention, it also carries the A-10/15/20 triplex, and is part of one of only two toll-free ways to get through the metro area (the other being the perpetually congested Metropolitan - Canada's equivalent of the Cross-Bronx Expressway).

What about the Victoria Bridge and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, the two other St. Lawrence River bridges that connect to the urban core of Montreal?  Definitely very aged bridges.  If there is a plan to eventually upgrade (widen, parallel or replace) one or both, then that could be part of the decision on the width of the new Champlain Bridge.

Need to consider the approaches of the Champlain Bridge as well.  If they were to build a 10- or 12-lane bridge, then they need equally capacious approach freeways to take full advantage of the size of the bridge.  Given on how urbanized that area is it looks rather difficult to widen those freeways beyond 6 lanes, maybe to 8 lanes, but then the new bridge will be able to throw 5 lanes in the direction of peak traffic.

There's definitely room. A-10, 15, and 20 are all squeezing together. A properly designed interchange on each side would be able to get to at least 8 lanes, if not 10, without modifying beyond the various splits.
As for making a dent, I'll disagree because we're talking about AADT. That's not the same as number of people. Even if you replace 5,000 vehicles a day with 100 buses, your AADT goes from 150K to 145K. That's still enough for 8 lanes.