Canam signs $225M Champlain Bridge steel deal

The new Champlain Bridge will replace the aging structure spanning St. Lawrence River and will be built immediately downstream from the current bridge. PHOTO Martin Dubé

SAINT-GEORGES, Que—Canam-Bridges, a division of the largest fabricator of steel components in North America, has signed a $225 million contract with Signature on the St. Laurence Construction G.P. to supply the steel superstructure for the approaches of the new Champlain Bridge.

Canam Group Inc. said the contract also includes the fabrication of steel components for the new Île-des-Sœurs Bridge, but excludes the cable-stayed section of the new Champlain Bridge. In monetary terms, the contract is the largest ever obtained by Canam Group.

The company said fabrication will begin in fall 2015 and deliveries will continue until the spring of 2018. Canam added that fabrication will be carried out primarily at the company’s Quebec City and Laval plants as well as the Claremont plant in New Hampshire.

The new bridge, which is one of several multi-billion dollar Canadian infrastructure project moving forward this year, will span the St. Lawrence River from Île-des-Sœurs to Brossard, immediately downstream from the existing Champlain Bridge. It features a three-corridor design, including two three-lane corridors for vehicular traffic and a two-lane public transport corridor capable of accommodating a light rail transit system. The new bridge will also include a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists.