Deconstruction of the Champlain Bridge
Deconstructing a major structure while minimizing risks and environmental impacts
The Champlain Bridge was closed in 2019 following the inauguration of the new Samuel-De-Champlain Bridge. This major infrastructure, spanning more than 3.4 km, crossed sensitive areas of the St. Lawrence River and Seaway. Given this location and the scale of the work, deconstruction of this structure presented major challenges, both in terms of dismantling work and potential impacts. In addition to the management of environmental issues, which was a priority throughout the project, there were major risks in terms of the safety of workers and the public, the continuity of operations on the St. Lawrence Seaway, the traffic flow in the vicinity of the worksite (MTQ and municipal network), and the integrity of the infrastructure and operations of the new Samuel-De-Champlain Bridge.
- La Société des ponts Jacques-Cartier et Champlain Inc. (PJCCI)
- Montreal (Canada)
- Major projects in alternative modes (project management)
- Structure, demolition
- Environment, contaminated soil, environmental audit and management system, treatment of residual materials
- Traffic control, surveying, landscaping
CONTEXT & ISSUES
Our team of experts, in consortium with our partner CIMA+, was commissioned to manage the deconstruction work on this major structure.
As the managing consortium, we ensured that the contractor put in place a very rigorous system aiming to achieve high environmental standards, with targets comprising 200 distinct mitigation measures, both in terms of the treatment of construction materials (prioritizing the 3RVE approach: reduce, reuse, recycle, valorize and eliminate) and the preservation of various environmental ecosystems (air quality, water quality, sound climate, wildlife preservation, etc.).
In addition to the road infrastructure teams, our structural, environmental, traffic maintenance, surveying, ITS, geotechnical and landscaping specialists were directly involved in the project. This project demonstrated our technical, environmental and safety leadership.
Photo credit: PJCCI