Jacques Cartier Bridge

Last updated
Jacques Cartier Bridge

Pont Jacques-Cartier
Jacques-Cartier bridge.JPG
Coordinates 45°31′15″N73°32′06″W / 45.52083°N 73.53500°W / 45.52083; -73.53500
Carries5 lanes of Qc134.svg R-134
Crosses St. Lawrence River
Locale Longueuil and Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Other name(s)Montreal Harbour Bridge (1930-1934)
OwnerThe Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Maintained byThe Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Website pontjacquescartierbridge.ca/en/
Characteristics
Design Cantilever bridge
Material Steel
Total length2,765 m (9,072 ft)
3,425.6 m (11,239 ft) (including approaches) [1]
Width23.1 m (76 ft) [1]
Height104 m (341 ft) [1]
Longest span334 m (1,096 ft) [1]
No. of spans40 [1]
Clearance below 47.2 m (155 ft) at mid-span [1]
No. of lanes 5
History
Designer Philip Louis Pratley
Constructed by Dominion Bridge Company
Construction startMay 26, 1925
Construction cost C$23 million
OpenedMay 14, 1930 (1930-05-14)
InauguratedMay 24, 1930
Statistics
Daily traffic 83,500 [2]
Location
Jacques Cartier Bridge

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.

Contents

Originally named the Montreal Harbour Bridge (pont du Havre), it was renamed in 1934 [3] 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. There are approximately 35.8 million vehicle crossings annually, [2] making it the third busiest bridge in Canada, the first being Samuel-de-Champlain Bridge, just a few kilometres (miles) upstream. The second busiest bridge in Canada overall is the Port Mann Bridge in Metro Vancouver (connecting Surrey to Coquitlam).

Together with the Champlain Bridge, it is administered by the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), a Canadian Crown Corporation which reports to Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada.

History

Bridge in 1948 Feature. Contrast. River BAnQ P48S1P16495.jpg
Bridge in 1948

Planning

Discussions began as early as 1874 [4] 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. [4] The bridge was designed by engineer Philip Louis Pratley.

Construction

The inauguration of the Bridge on May 24, 1930. PA-117723.jpg
The inauguration of the Bridge on May 24, 1930.

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. [5] 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.

Modifications

The Bridge seen in 1930. Pont Montreal 1930.jpg
The Bridge seen in 1930.

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 [4] 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. [4]

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 to Montreal from having to cross the path of those heading toward Longueuil, a major source of accidents.

During 2001 and 2002 the entire deck of the bridge was replaced. [4] 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. [6]

There are four 3-metre (10')[ citation needed ] high finials, at the four high-points of the bridge, as architectural ornaments. [4] Their shape resembles the Eiffel Tower without being a replica. [4]

The Jacques Cartier Bridge as seen from Parc Jean-Drapeau. Jacques-Cartier Canada.jpg
The Jacques Cartier Bridge as seen from Parc Jean-Drapeau.
View of the entirety of the Jacques Cartier Bridge from its southern end, looking Northwest towards Montreal. The section of the bridge spanning the St-Lawrence Seaway, distinguishable by its Warren truss superstructure, is clearly visible on the left. Fullsize - IMG 2794 - 1 of 1.jpg
View of the entirety of the Jacques Cartier Bridge from its southern end, looking Northwest towards Montreal. The section of the bridge spanning the St-Lawrence Seaway, distinguishable by its Warren truss superstructure, is clearly visible on the left.

Inspiration

Detailing on the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Pont JC Detail.jpg
Detailing on the Jacques Cartier Bridge.

A bust of Jacques Cartier [7] is located at the exit leading to Île Sainte-Hélène and was donated by France. The bridge follows the general design concept of the Quebec Bridge. It was, in turn, one of the design influences for the Story Bridge, in Brisbane, Australia, which was completed in 1940. [8] Its imposing steel structure of its main section most likely inspired the designers of J. C. Van Horne Bridge spanning the Restigouche River between Campbellton, New Brunswick and Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec. This bridge was not built until 1958.[ original research? ]

Toll

The structure was a toll bridge from its opening until 1962 [4] and a toll plaza was located on the southern approach. The toll plaza area now houses the offices of the corporation that owns and operates the structure and the nearby Champlain Bridge. Tokens were issued for part of the period that tolls were collected. Toll booths were abolished in 1962.

The original toll rates were as follows:

"The crooked bridge"

The Jacques Cartier Bridge visible from Ontario Street Quartier Sainte-Marie.jpg
The Jacques Cartier Bridge visible from Ontario Street

From the beginning of its use, the Jacques Cartier Bridge was nicknamed "the crooked bridge" because of a curve at the entrance to Montreal. It was designed to avoid the land of soap factory-owner Hector Barsalou, who refused the amount the city offered him for his land.

Another curve in the middle of the bridge at the height of Île Sainte-Hélène is due to the positioning of the pillars. The pillars were built according to the direction of the stream of the river in a different axis of the streets to the North approach on the island of Montreal.

The existence of these curves has been a predominant factor in many accidents that have led to changes in signage on the bridge over the years.

Traffic

The bridge has five traffic lanes, two of which are directional and one reversible for rush hour traffic and two sidewalks on each side for pedestrians and cyclists. It is also known for its famous Craig curve, a curve on the side of Montreal that once created many accidents because of its small radius and zero tilt. This deficiency was corrected in the early 2000s by raising the west side of the deck creating a slight tilt making it easier to take the curve.

The bridge is the continuation of Highway 134 and is connected to the multiplex formed by Highway 20 and the René-Lévesque Highway via an interchange. It continues on the South Shore in a short motorway section of Highway 134, which ends at an interchange with roads 112 and 116, before becoming boulevard Taschereau.

On the Island of Montreal, the bridge connects to De Lorimier Avenue East and Papineau Avenue West.

It is estimated that up to 115,000 vehicles use it per day, for an annual average of 34.7 million vehicles.

Maintenance

Over the last twenty years, major ongoing renovation programs have been completed, including painting and deck replacement to preserve the integrity of the structure and to ensure a safe passage for users. In 2016, a rebuilding cycle was completed for almost all pillars.

JCCBI, the structure's responsible manager, is carrying out a structural steel reinforcement program dating back to 1920, in order to extend the life span of the bridge. Specifically, some steel ribs and reinforcing plates have been replaced and reinforced.

Disruptions

This bridge has been shut down several times due to several protesters who have individually climbed on the superstructure of the bridge or on a sign in the Longueuil side of the bridge. Two of them were from the Fathers for Justice group, while a third claimed he was part of the group. Recently, a man wearing a Canadian flag climbed the structure of the bridge. Most of the protests led to massive traffic congestion during rush hour. Recently, the pedestrian paths were modified with the installation of round metal fences all around in both directions, to disallow climbing of the superstructure and discourage potential suicide jumpers, the two main problems associated with pedestrian traffic on the bridge.

Living Connections lighting

To mark both the 150th anniversary of Canada and the 375th anniversary of Montreal, the bridge was refitted in 2017 with new decorative lights. The project, "Living Connections" was designed and installed over a period of 3 years by Montreal-based Moment Factory in collaboration with other local partners (Réalisations Inc. Montreal [ permanent dead link ], Ambiances Design Productions, ATOMIC3, Éclairage Public/ Ombrages, Lucion Média and UDO Design). [9] [10] Project management was provided by JCCBI. The system, which allows for varying colors and animation, is scheduled to remain active until 2027. The interior lighting network changes with the passing of seasons, while the exterior lighting network uses big data, translated in real time to feed LED lighting networks on the outsides of the bridge superstructure, making the structure the first "connected" bridge in the world. Réalisations Inc. Montreal Archived 2017-09-14 at the Wayback Machine is responsible for the idea of using big data as a modulator of the bridge lighting program, as well as the design and production of the custom software and training of on-site operators to bring this concept to life. [11]

Fifty-three types of data pertaining to Montreal, across eleven categories, are tracked to feed the bridge's lighting systems, included but not limited to; weather, traffic, noise and activity on social media. The bridge is then invaded by luminous movements in the colours of the most discussed topics of the day by the Montreal media: society (red), environment (green), technology (light blue), business (gray), sports (blue), institutions (pink), culture (purple). The systems track this data using physical capture systems such as sensors and cameras as well as through hashtags and keywords on online platforms. More information on how data is interpreted and expressed in light, and the systems used to do so, can be found on the Réalisations Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine website.

The bridge is part of the cycle of the seasons thanks to a chromatic calendar of 365 colours. Day after day, it is transformed, progressively from the spring energizing green, to the radiant summer orange, to the voluptuous autumn red and the icy blue of winter. The bridge also gives the pulse of Montreal life in real time. The intensity, speed and density of light movements are fueled by the mention of Montreal on Twitter.

The first lighting up of the bridge occurred on May 17, 2017, the same day associated with the founding of Montreal in 1642 and officially kicking off the festivities for the 375th anniversary. [12]

Lighting of the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Numbers

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard Bridge</span> Charles River overpass

The Harvard Bridge is a steel haunched girder bridge carrying Massachusetts Avenue over the Charles River and connecting Back Bay, Boston with Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the longest bridge over the Charles River at 2,164.8 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Story Bridge</span> Steel cantilever bridge in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Washington Bridge</span> Suspension bridge between New Jersey and New York

The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey, with the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is named after George Washington, a United States founding father and the country's first president. The George Washington Bridge is the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, carrying a traffic volume of over 104 million vehicles in 2019, and is the world's only suspension bridge with 14 vehicular lanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Bridge (Montreal)</span> Bridge in Quebec

The Victoria Bridge, previously known as Victoria Jubilee Bridge, is a bridge over the St. Lawrence River, linking Montreal, Quebec, to the south shore city of Saint-Lambert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Water Bridge</span> Twin-span bridge between Point Edward, Ontario, Canada and Port Huron, Michigan, US

The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, United States, and Point Edward, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Water Bridge connects Highway 402 in Ontario with both Interstate 69 (I-69) and Interstate 94 (I-94) in Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champlain Bridge (Montreal, 1962–2019)</span> Bridge in Quebec

The Champlain Bridge was a steel truss cantilever bridge with approach viaducts constructed of prestressed concrete beams supporting a prestressed concrete deck paved with asphalt. Opened in 1962, the bridge crossed the Saint Lawrence River, connecting the Island of Montreal to its South Shore suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Bridge</span> Steel truss cantilever bridge connecting Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec

The Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge, also known as the Alexandra Bridge or Interprovincial Bridge, is a steel truss cantilever bridge spanning the Ottawa River between Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. In addition to carrying vehicle traffic, a shared use pathway on the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists is maintained by the National Capital Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angus L. Macdonald Bridge</span> Bridge in Halifax Regional Municipality

The Angus L. Macdonald Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada; it opened on April 2, 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego–Coronado Bridge</span> Bridge in San Diego and Coronado, California

The San Diego–Coronado Bridge, commonly referred to as the Coronado Bridge, is a prestressed concrete/steel girder bridge fixed-link bridge crossing over San Diego Bay, linking San Diego with Coronado, California. It is signed as part of State Route 75.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taschereau Boulevard</span> Thoroughfare on Montreals south shore

Taschereau Boulevard is a major suburban boulevard located on the south shore of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is a section of Quebec Route 134 and runs from Longueuil to Candiac. It is named after the prominent Quebec family, which included former Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau. At 17.5 km (10.9 mi), it is one of the longest commercial arteries in Canada. It serves the heart of an area with an estimated population of 400,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honoré Mercier Bridge</span> Bridge in Quebec

The Honoré Mercier Bridge in Quebec, Canada, connects the Montreal borough of LaSalle on the Island of Montreal with the Mohawk reserve of Kahnawake and the suburb of Châteauguay on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River. It is the most direct southerly route from the island of Montreal toward the US border. It carries Route 138, originally Route 4. It is 1.361 km (0.846 mi) in length and contains four steel trusses on its first section. The height of the bridge varies from 12.44 m (40.8 ft) to 33.38 m (109.5 ft) with the highest sections located over the St. Lawrence Seaway. The bridge is named after former premier of Quebec Honoré Mercier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Level Bridge (Edmonton)</span> Bridge in Edmonton, Canada

The High Level Bridge is a bridge that spans the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge</span> Bridge in Luxembourg City

The Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge is a road bridge in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It carries the N51 across the Alzette, connecting Avenue John F. Kennedy, in Kirchberg, to Boulevard Robert Schuman, in Limpertsberg. The bridge is also known as the Red Bridge on account of its distinctive red paintwork. It is the main route connecting the city centre, Ville Haute, to Kirchberg, the site of the city's European Union institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Crossing Bridge</span> Bridge in New Jersey and Washington Crossing section of Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania

Washington Crossing Bridge is a truss bridge spanning the Delaware River that connects Washington Crossing, Hopewell Township in Mercer County, New Jersey with Washington Crossing, Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1904 by the Taylorsville Delaware Bridge Company. It serves as the connector of Pennsylvania Route 532 on the Pennsylvania side, with County Route 546 on the New Jersey side. The bridge is currently owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Rhine Bridge (Konstanz)</span> Bridge over the Rhine

The Old Rhine Bridge at Konstanz spans the Seerhein. It is a combined road and railway bridge. In addition to one track of the High Rhine Railway at kilometer 413.5, it carries the Konzilstraße, the road that connects the borough of Petershausen with the city centre. The road bridge carries two lanes into the city center and three lanes in the other direction. Additionally, there is a bicycle lane in both directions on the left and a sidewalk on the right. In the 19th century, distance markers were placed along the Rhine; they start counting kilometers at this bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East River Bridge (Sheet Harbour)</span> Bridge in Nova Scotia, Canada

The East River Bridge is a multi-span bridge in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia that carries Trunk 7 and the Marine Drive scenic route over the Northeast Arm of Sheet Harbour. The bridge is 183 m (600 ft) in length and was constructed from September 2014 to December 2015. It was opened on December 17, 2015 to pedestrians, with a bridge walk commemorating the closing of the old bridge and the opening of the new bridge. The bridge was opened to vehicles the day after. It replaced a green steel arch bridge of the same name that was built in 1956 immediately north of the current bridge. The previous bridge had a span of 213 m (699 ft) and shared engineering ties with the Angus L. MacDonald Bridge in Halifax. Nova Scotia was considering repairs to the old bridge, but they ultimately elected to construct a new bridge instead. The current bridge was designed without overhead arches, unlike its predecessor, as the construction cost would have been doubled.

The Melocheville Tunnel is a tunnel connecting Beauharnois and Melocheville in Quebec, Canada. It is a segment of Route 132 located near the Beauharnois generating station. The tunnel measures 227.6 m (747 ft) m. Until 1991, it was called the Beauharnois Tunnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel-De Champlain Bridge</span> Bridge in Quebec

The Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, colloquially known as the Champlain Bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge design by architect Poul Ove Jensen and built to replace the original Champlain Bridge over the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, between Nuns' Island in the borough of Verdun in Montreal and the suburban city of Brossard on the South Shore. A second, connected bridge links Nuns' Island to the main Island of Montreal. It is the busiest bridge in the country with more cars flowing into it than any other bridge.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jacques Cartier Bridge: Technical Data" (PDF). The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Jacques-Cartier Bridge". The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  3. ↑ "The Jacques Cartier Bridge". The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Jacques Cartier Bridge (QC 134)". Eastern Roads. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "Jacques Cartier Bridge" (PDF). Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  6. ↑ Bourgault-Côté, Guillaume (10 September 2007). "La barrière anti-suicide a prouvé son utilité" [The suicide barrier has proven its usefulness]. Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "Jacques Cartier Bridge: Bronze Bust". Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges. Montreal, Canada. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  8. ↑ Gregory, Helen (2007). Brisbane Then and Now. Wingfield, South Australia: Salamander Books. p. 92. ISBN   978-1-74173-011-1.
  9. ↑ Everett-Green, Robert (6 January 2017). "Montreal can count on a double payout, sharing a birthday with Canada". The Globe and Mail . Toronto . Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Jacques Cartier Bridge Lighting". Monument Factory. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  11. ↑ "How Réalisations Uses Big Data to Light the Jacques Cartier Bridge". Réalisations. 2017-06-01. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  12. ↑ "Watch the Jacques Cartier Bridge light up for the first time". CBC News . 18 May 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.