ABSTRACT
The deteriorating condition and associated high maintenance costs of the existing Champlain Bridge (opened to traffic in 1962) prompted the accelerated need to design, build, operate, maintain, and finance the New Champlain Bridge Corridor Project.
Part of the largest transportation infrastructure currently underway in North America, the 3.4 km New Champlain Bridge is comprised of a signature cable-stayed bridge, an east approach, and a west approach. Performance and design criteria of this life-line structure must meet the design-life requirement of 125 years. The severe winters in Montreal, along with the requirement to maintain navigation channel traffic during construction present unique challenges to design and erection. The design-build team provided innovative use of pre-casting, modular segments, and non-tradition erection techniques and sequencing to meet the fast-track project schedule.
