Posted by
Jean-Vincent Lacroix
We would like to CONFIRM you that the third weekend work BLITZ in the Champlain Corridor will take place from Friday, May 17, at 10 p.m., to Tuesday, May 21, at 5 a.m. This third BLITZ is especially important, as by taking advantage of a three-day weekend to carry out intensive work, we’ll be able to save one weekend of work.
This weekend work BLITZ will also be the biggest of the year in the Champlain Corridor and will be especially difficult for traffic.
The installation of road signs will begin on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. towards the North and at 8:30 p.m. towards the South, causing the closure of a first lane.
Here is the lane configuration for the weekend:
It is important to note that during this period the width of lanes on the Champlain Bridge, the A-15 and the Bonaventure Expressway will be reduced to three metres in both directions. Trucks exceeding this width will have to take alternative routes.
Drivers are encouraged to avoid the Champlain Corridor and take the Jacques Cartier, Victoria or Honoré Mercier Bridges, or the Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel, to access or leave the Island of Montreal.
Several access and exit ramps on the bridge will also be closed during this period. The work will be carried out in two phases; here is the configuration of closed ramps per phase:
During phase 1, île des Sœurs residents will be invited to leave the island via the A-15 North. Access to the Bonaventure Expressway will be possible via Exit 60, and drivers can also go through Verdun via Wellington Street to get downtown. The other lanes to leave île des Soeurs will be closed during this first phase, making traffic more difficult for residents who wish to leave the island.
Access to the island via Exits 57-S and 57-N on the A-15 South and Exit 57 on the A-15 North will be open.
Afficher Corridor Champlain – BLITZ 3 – phase 1 – 18 et 19 mai sur une carte plus grande
During phase 2, île des Sœurs residents may leave the island via the A-15 North and the Bonaventure Expressway. Please note though that Exits 60 on the A-15 North and A-15 South towards the Bonaventure Expressway will be closed. However, access to Verdun via Exits 60 will remain possible during this period, as in the first phase.
Access to the island via Exits 57-S and 57-N on the A-15 South and Exit 57 on the A-15 North will also remain open during this phase.
Afficher Corridor Champlain – BLITZ 3 – phase 2 – 19 et 20mai sur une carte plus grande
The speed limit on the network will be reduced to 50 km/h.
A reminder that major work on the Champlain Corridor will take place during intensive weekend BLITZES. This will involve several different contractors working around the clock at various places on the bridge, the A-15, and the Nuns’ Island Bridge.
This work will occur over three to five weekends from late April to late June, depending on weather conditions and how the work progresses. Once again, this year’s objective is to minimize the number of weekends required to complete the projects.
The Corporation will take advantage of these weekends to repair the roadway, carry out paving work and replace expansion joints.
We encourage you to consult our 2013 work calendar.
To stay informed about our closures, sign up for our email alerts and RSS feed or follow us on Twitter.
Posted by
Jean-Vincent Lacroix
We would like to advise you that the third weekend work BLITZ in the Champlain Corridor will take place from Friday, May 17, at 10 p.m., to Tuesday, May 21, at 5 a.m. This third BLITZ is especially important, as by taking advantage of a three-day weekend to carry out intensive work, we’ll be able to save one weekend of work.
This weekend work BLITZ will also be the biggest of the year in the Champlain Corridor and will be especially difficult for traffic.
Weather conditions will be very important during this period, as the planned work will enable us to pave sections of the Champlain Bridge, the A-15 and the Bonaventure Expressway. A notice will be posted on this blog on Friday at 3:30 p.m. according to the weather forecast to advise road users whether or not the work will take place.
Posted by
Jean-Vincent Lacroix
The Champlain Bridge’s expansion joints are not a structural component of the bridge. Their role is to ensure the bridge’s movement according to changes in temperature. The bridge’s joints wear out over time due to the frequent passage of trucks and the effects of salt. Approximately 10 to 15 expansion joints break per year on the Champlain Bridge. At no time does such a break compromise the safety of the bridge, and our team quickly reacts by placing a steel plate over the joint in question, then coming back to repair it when traffic is less heavy, such as at night or on the weekend.
The video presented at our office showed an expansion joint that was broken on Saturday, May 5. This break had no impact on car traffic, as it took place within the worksite that was operating during the weekend. The joint in question was broken over two lanes, with a width of approximately 1 inch. Steel plates were placed over this joint in anticipation of future repair.
In terms of the impact on traffic, driving over a broken expansion joint feels like driving over a pothole. When we place a steel plate over a broken expansion joint, we do so in order to provide smoother passage for vehicles and maintain traffic fluidity.
The Champlain Bridge’s joints need to be repaired, and at the moment 33% of them have been. Why not more? When the major Champlain Bridge maintenance program began in 2009, work above all focused on the bridge’s beams and pier caps, which are major structural components. To this day, our efforts have been concentrated on these components, even though 100% of the edge beams and 98% of the pier caps have been given post-tensioning (support by tensioning and anchoring steel rods). It’s a very good sign for the state of the bridge’s health.
Yes, there is still work to be done on the joints, but it’s nothing new, as mentioned in articles that have appeared in recent years (TVA in 2011 and La Presse in 2011) and above all, there is nothing to worry about for road users’ safety.
Inspection reports enable us to address the bridge’s priorities with regards to our major maintenance program. We are currently in the program’s fifth year. The recommendations put forward enable us to target the work that will be carried out in years to come. If a priority is urgent and must be addressed right away, the inspectors are required to advise us immediately. To date, no such recommendations requiring immediate intervention have been made.
On the below diagram you will note all the work carried out since 2009 and the progress of the program components, including five elements that are practically at 100%.
Our mission for the years to come is to guarantee the maintenance and safety of the Champlain Bridge until a new bridge is operational. Technical briefings take place every year to follow the progress of our major maintenance program, frequent visits with the media are organized on and under the bridge, and we even organized a contest to enable road users to come see how the work is progressing. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to explain the work we’re doing and the reasons for it.
Thank you.
Posted by
Jean-Vincent Lacroix
We would like to advise you that the third weekend work BLITZ in the Champlain Corridor will take place from Friday, May 17, at 10 p.m., to Tuesday, May 21, at 5 a.m. This third BLITZ is especially important, as by taking advantage of a three-day weekend to carry out intensive work, we’ll be able to save one weekend of work.
This weekend work BLITZ will also be the biggest of the year in the Champlain Corridor and will be especially difficult for traffic.
Weather conditions will be very important during this period, as the planned work will enable us to pave sections of the Champlain Bridge, the A-15 and the Bonaventure Expressway. A notice will be posted on this blog on Friday at 3:30 p.m. according to the weather forecast to advise road users whether or not the work will take place.
The installation of road signs will begin on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. towards the North and at 8:30 p.m. towards the South, causing the closure of a first lane.
Here is the lane configuration for the weekend:
It is important to note that during this period the width of lanes on the Champlain Bridge, the A-15 and the Bonaventure Expressway will be reduced to three metres in both directions. Trucks exceeding this width will have to take alternative routes.
Drivers are encouraged to avoid the Champlain Corridor and take the Jacques Cartier, Victoria or Honoré Mercier Bridges, or the Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel, to access or leave the Island of Montreal.
Several access and exit ramps on the bridge will also be closed during this period. The work will be carried out in two phases; here is the configuration of closed ramps per phase:
Afficher Corridor Champlain – BLITZ 3 – phase 1 – 18 et 19 mai sur une carte plus grande
Afficher Corridor Champlain – BLITZ 3 – phase 2 – 19 et 20mai sur une carte plus grande
The speed limit on the network will be reduced to 50 km/h.
We will update this post on a daily basis to advise you of night work expected this week. We encourage you to visit this page at around 5 p.m. every day to find out about the night closures added as the week progresses.
A reminder that major work on the Champlain Corridor will take place during intensive weekend BLITZES. This will involve several different contractors working around the clock at various places on the bridge, the A-15, and the Nuns’ Island Bridge.
This work will occur over three to five weekends from late April to late June, depending on weather conditions and how the work progresses. Once again, this year’s objective is to minimize the number of weekends required to complete the projects.
The Corporation will take advantage of these weekends to repair the roadway, carry out paving work and replace expansion joints.
We encourage you to consult our 2013 work calendar.
To stay informed about our closures, sign up for our email alerts and RSS feed or follow us on Twitter.
Prior to the arrival of the LRT, the reserved bus lane on the Champlain Bridge will be extended to the Bonaventure Expressway by 2015› More
Jean-Vincent LacroixDirector, Communications
André GirardVice President, Communications
