Bridge Work Scheduled for Montreal

LONGUEUIL, QC, – The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) wishes to announce continuation of the project to replace 10 bearing devices of the Jacques Cartier Bridge, scheduled for this year, over the next two weekends. The bridge will be completely closed overnight, from 1 AM to 4 AM, in the night of Friday to Saturday and in the night of Sunday to Monday.

It is equally important to note that between the two night closings only one lane in each direction of the Jacques Cartier Bridge will remain open on Saturday and Sunday. Motorists are urged to use the Champlain, Victoria and Honoré Mercier bridges or the Louis-Hyppolite-Lafontaine tunnel during this period, as well as the Jacques Cartier bicycle path, which will remain open.

Jacques Cartier Bridge closures over these two upcoming weekends will occur on the following schedule:

Night of Friday, April 20 to Saturday, April 21 (1AM to 4 AM): complete closure
Saturday, April 21, 4 AM to Monday, April 23, 1 AM: one lane in each direction
Night of Sunday, April 22 to Monday, April 23 (1 AM to 4 AM); complete closure
Night of Friday, April 27 to Saturday, April 28 (1AM to 4 AM): complete closure
Saturday, April 28, 4 AM to Monday, April 30, 1 AM: one lane in each direction
Night of Sunday, April 29 to Monday, April 30 (1 AM to 4 AM); complete closure

The bearing devices replacement program started in 2006 and, to this day, 29 bearing devices have been replaced (including two in 2012). In the coming months, 10 new devices will be installed under the bridge, including four during the two upcoming weekends.

The work will be taking place underneath the bridge and will require complete and partial closures in order to avoid overloads caused by vehicles. These closures enable workers to slightly lift a section of the deck using powerful jacks and to replace the bearing devices. During the nights announced, the weight of the deck section being lifted will be particularly important, nearly 600 tonnes, close to 1 300 000 pounds. This particularly heavy load, combined with the vehicles weight, requires fewer lanes open during the work on weekends.