Intraprovincial Bridges and Tunnels

Click on the links below for more information on the individual bridges or tunnels that are under the Minister’s portfolio. These structures are all located in the Montreal area in Quebec and are all owned and operated by the The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI).

Other intraprovincial bridges are directly managed and operated by The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLMC) for the federal government under a long-term agreement with Transport Canada. Those bridges are all located on the St. Lawrence Seaway between Montreal and Lake Erie. SLMC was established as a not-for profit corporation by the Canadian government for the safe and efficient movement of marine traffic through the Canadian Seaway facilities.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation

• Champlain Bridge and Ice Control Structure
• Honoré-Mercier Bridge
• Jacques Cartier Bridge
• Melocheville Tunnel

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Champlain Bridge
(Montreal)

This bridge connects the Island of Montreal to the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River.

This structure is 3.4 km long. The bridge has a cantilevered type main span built of steel and carries an orthotropic steel deck, with a bituminous asphalt pavement; has six lanes of traffic separated by a median barrier. The main span steel structure measures approximately 763 m including approach spans and provides approximately 36.6 m of clearance above the surface of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The remainder of the bridge consists of prestressed concrete beams with a prestressed concrete deck covered with an asphalt pavement.

Champlain Bridge website

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Champlain Bridge and Ice Control Structure
(Montreal)

The Estacade runs parallel to the Champlain Bridge about 300 m upstream of the bridge. It extends west-east between Nun's Island and the St.Lawrence Seaway dike. It was build as an ice control structure to avoid the formation of ice jams and flooding of Montreal. It is now used as a bike path.

The length of the Estacade is about 2 km with a deck width of 8.5 m.

Champlain Bridge Ice Control Structure website

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Honoré-Mercier Bridge
(Montreal)

The bridge spans the St. Lawrence River and Seaway between LaSalle, on the Island of Montreal, and the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake on the South Shore. This Bridge is owned partially by the The Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) and JCCBI. The latter manages the infrastructure.

The portion owned by the federal government is a high level bridge with 13 fixed spans totalling 526 m long over the St. Lawrence River and the Seaway with 37 m clearance over the shipping channel and 4 traffic lanes. There are also 3 approaches from the bridge to ground level on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River: one measuring 538 m in length composed of 20 spans, one measuring 469 m in length composed of 14 spans; and another measuring 400 m composed of 16 spans in length. The bridge and elevated portion of the approaches are constructed with concrete piers; steel superstructure and reinforced concrete deck.

Honoré-Mercier Bridge website

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Jacques Cartier Bridge
(Montréal)

The Jacques Cartier Bridge spans the St. Lawrence River and Seaway facing St. Helen's Island. The bridge is located between the Victoria Bridge and Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine bridge-tunnel some 7.24 km upstream from the latter.

Opened to the traffic in 1930, this structure is 3.4 km long including its approaches. It is 22 m wide and has 2 sidewalks and 5 lanes of traffic. The bridge is of steel construction with a reinforced concrete deck, has five lanes of traffic (using a lane signalization system, traffic in the middle lane can be reversed in order to better accommodate peak traffic hours). At the centre of the main span, a clearance of approximately 49.4 m above the surface of the St.Lawrence River enables the safe passage of vessels using the Port of Montreal; the section situated over the St. Lawrence Seaway is approximately 38.1 m above the surface of the canal.

Jacques Cartier Bridge website

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Melocheville Tunnel
(Municipalités of Beauharnois and Melocheville)

The Melocheville Tunnel connects the municipalities of Beauharnois and Melocheville, carrying Highway 132 under the St. Lawrence Seaway near Lock 3.

The tunnel is 227.6 m long. It consists of 2 concrete tubes carrying 2 lanes of traffic inside.

The tunnel comprises of 18 concrete caissons. There is 1 lane of traffic in each direction and a sidewalk on the north side.

Melocheville Tunnel website