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We would like to inform you that this morning we held a press briefing in which we presented a summary of the work carried out in 2011 on the Champlain Bridge corridor.
This meeting will be the first in a series of technical briefings that will take place twice a year, namely in spring and winter. These briefings will enable the media to better follow the work that is being carried out on the bridge and to become familiar with our action plan. Although the federal government announced the construction of a new bridge, it remains important to us that road users and the media be able to follow the progress of the maintenance work required until then.
The Champlain Bridge has often made headlines in the last months, so it is important to us to present a summary of the efforts made at maintaining it over the past year in order to ensure its safety over the next 10 years. Nearly 75 to 125 workers have worked underneath the bridge each week to maintain the deck, beams and pillars. Between 40 and 50 engineers have also been involved in the work, whether they be contractors, consultants, supervisors or subcontractors.
An Important Internal Expertise: Innovate and Face Challenges
It is also important to note that even within the Corporation, about nine engineers are involved in the bridge dossier, of which three are practically involved full-time. This internal expertise is particularly important and enables us to prioritize upcoming interventions in a coherent and strategic manner with regards to the inspections reports submitted each year. This expertise also allows us to innovate and recommend tailored interventions for the bridge. Over the past years, we have thus implemented reinforcement techniques that are unique to the Champlain Bridge, which aim to ensure its safety for the next several years. We have also started installing tracking sensors that enable us to monitor the bridge’s state 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This detailed tracking allows us to better focus our interventions and work.
Experts working on this file must constantly innovate to find interesting solutions that will have a minimal impact on traffic. This year alone, we have managed 10 contracts spread among 7 different contractors with a total value of $33.3 million for the Champlain Bridge only. Between 30 to 40 companies have worked on the bridge this year. In addition to this work, we have also carried out work on the approaches to the bridge, namely on Highway 15 ($4.2 million) and on the Bonaventure Expressway ($7.2 million).
The investment of such amounts cannot be made without causing an impact on traffic. However, it is unthinkable to hamper one of the busiest bridges in Canada during the day and during rush hour; hence the reason why extensive planning and coordination work must take place. On that point, all work requiring access to the deck is carried out at night and during weekends (paving, replacement of expansion joints or of the central median). As for the work taking place underneath the bridge, it is carried out practically continuously, 10 out of 12 months of the year. Moreover, this year, we should progress as much as possible during winter in order to get ahead on the work scheduled for next year. However, this work should not require major closures.
Upcoming Projects in 2012: Preparing for the Future
Finally, we took advantage of this meeting to present our main upcoming projects for 2012. At this time, we are planning the work that is to be carried out in 2012, which will be a year just as important as 2011 as our budget for the Champlain Bridge corridor will rise from $44.7 million to $64.6 million.
Furthermore, we discussed the launch of the environmental project in the western sector of the Bonaventure Expressway, which aims to treat the contaminated groundwater in this sector. The construction of an confinement wall (15 meters deep by 1.2 km long) and of a treatment plant will start in 2013 and end in 2014, while 2012 will be dedicated to the design (plans and quote) of the chosen solution. This work will therefore have been completed when the new bridge worksite will be operational. The costs associated with this project will be shared between the Corporation and the Quebec government, which also owns part of this land.
A technical briefing will take place in the spring to explain our entire planning schedule for 2012 as well as the associated work, and its impact on traffic.
Brief Summary: An Overview of Our Accomplishments
To obtain more information on today’s meeting (Thursday, December 15), we invite you to view the Power Point presentation shown to the media.
Below is a detailed listing of the work that was carried out.
Work carried out on the Champlain Bridge in brief:
- Post-tension of 13 edge beams
- Rehabilitation of 5 shafts (transverse section of the pillar)
- Rehabilitation of 4 bridge pier caps
- Post-tension of 7 bridge pier caps
- Installation of 4 queen posts (transverse support system)
- Replacement of 5 expansion joints
- Paving of 2.75 km
- Replacement of 1 km of the median barrier (including an anti-glare fence)
- Paving of access ramps and exits on the South Shore end
Work carried out on the Bonaventure Expressway in brief:
- Replacement of 3 expansion joints over 6 lanes wide
- Replacement of 219 bridge bearings
- 645 m² of deck repairs
- 5 245 m² of waterproofing membrane
- 710 tons of paving
- 1 165 m² of concrete repairs
Work carried out on Highway 15 in brief:
- Nuns’ Island Bridge: 105 m² of deck repairs
- East Overpass: repair of abutments, repairs to beams soffits, replacement of 4 expansion joints towards the North, deck repairs, new waterproofing membrane and paving.
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