Rebecca Maloney
Americas Press Office ,Boston
Transport Canada has selected a consortium including Arup to advise on the initial phases of replacing Montreal’s deteriorating Champlain Bridge.
The current structure, which spans 3.5km over the St. Lawrence River, is Canada’s busiest crossing point.
The project is expected to be delivered as a public private partnership (PPP).
The consortium’s remit is to prepare a business case for a new bridge, which will be located slightly downstream of the existing structure. Over the course of the 18 month-long initiative, we will work closely with team members Price Waterhouse Coopers, Morrisson Hershfield, Groupe SM, and SDG to prepare a recommended design for procurement and construction. Our bridge and civil engineering scope also encompasses preparation of cost estimates and risk assessments.
The team is now reviewing previous work done on the project and developing eight new design options for initial review.
The project’s considerable technical challenges include the need to create an aesthetically pleasing long-span crossing with a 125-year design life that can withstand harsh winter conditions and river ice flows.