The île des Sœurs Bridge is a key link between Montreal’s main highways and the Champlain Bridge, a critical trade corridor between Canada and the United States.
On July 12, 2012, Minister Lebel announced that a temporary causeway-bridge connecting île des Sœurs to Montreal would be built close to the current île des Sœurs Bridge, in order to ensure the efficient flow of people and goods both before and during the construction of the new bridge for the St. Lawrence. The causeway-bridge will be built at a cost of $92.2 million using funds announced in Budget 2013.
The causeway-bridge will be built from two abutments that encroach on the water and form two short causeways connected to each other by a standard bridge made up of two piers. By targeting a narrow section of the river for the new structure, the selected design will reduce encroachment on the water and thus lessen the environmental impacts.
Construction of the temporary causeway-bridge will allow the team responsible for the new bridge for the St. Lawrence to determine the precise requirements for the new permanent structure so that it will meet the current and future needs of all users. It is the most effective way to guarantee safety and minimize disruptions and traffic delays.
This temporary bypass bridge between île des Sœurs and Montreal will have a total of seven lanes, three in each direction and one reserved for buses, as well as a pathway for pedestrians and cyclists. The transit lane will allow the reserved peak hour bus lane on the Champlain Bridge to be extended during peak times as far as the Bonaventure Expressway. The causeway-bridge will be in place until the île des Sœurs Bridge has been permanently replaced as part of the construction of the new bridge for the St. Lawrence.
Work on the temporary causeway-bridge is expected be completed by 2015, under the direction of The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated. The current île des Sœurs Bridge will then be closed and demolished.
October 2013
