Flatiron breaks ground on Champlain Bridge

Broomfield, Colo. — A partnership including Flatiron broke ground June 19 on the CA$2.15 billion new Champlain Bridge in Montreal.

"Flatiron is proud to be part of the team building what is sure to become a signature project in the region," said Javier Sevilla, chief operating officer of Flatiron.

The main feature of the new Champlain Bridge Corridor, one of North America's largest infrastructure projects, is a new 3.4 kilometer bridge across the Saint-Lawrence River. The bridge runs from the Île-des-Sœurs to Brossard, downstream from the existing Champlain Bridge, built in the 1960s. The new bridge includes three corridors, with two three-lane corridors for vehicle traffic and a two-lane transit corridor with light rail transit capabilities for future use. The bridge also includes a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists. This component will be operational by the end of 2018. Work also includes a bridge over the Île-des-Sœurs, widening of sections of Autoroute 15 and Autoroute 10, installation of tolling infrastructure and installation of intelligent transportation systems.

The consortium Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group will design, construct, finance, operate, maintain and rehabilitate the new Champlain Bridge for owner Infrastructure Canada. The partnership of SNC-Lavalin, Flatiron and Dragados Canada are responsible for construction of the project. Consortium equity providers include SNC-Lavalin Capital, ACS Infrastructure Canada and HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions North America. The project is designed by T.Y. Lin International, International Bridge Technologies, SNC-Lavalin and MMM.

The new Champlain Bridge will provide additional capacity and increase safety on one of the busiest bridges in Canada. Forty to 60 million vehicles use the bridge each year. The route is a major corridor for local residents as well as a trade route to the U.S.

Work on the new bridge has begun and will be completed in 2018. The new Champlain Bridge is expected to have a 125-year design life.