Installation of girders for the Rivière-des-Prairies Bridge

Nature of the work

After building the foundations of the new Rivière-des-Prairies bridge between Montréal and Îles-Laval, the construction crews will now install the girders and form the deck of the bridge through the incremental launching technique. The girders will be assembled on a launching nose from the south shore of the bridge (Pierrefonds-Roxboro sector), and then be gradually pushed, one after the other, to form one of the five spans of the bridge, until they reach the opposite shore.

A span is the distance between two pillars, approximately 30 metres, except for a single one that will be 60 metres. The river lies between the two pillars of this larger span, which explains the greater distance to be covered. The incremental launching technique makes it possible to limit the work performed in the water.

Delivery of the girders will take place on du Celtis street in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro sector, during the day, with the presence of signallers.

Work schedule**

Example of a bridge launching nose positioned over a river:

*Dates are subject to change.
** Work may be required before and after this period in order to install or remove the necessary work components and to clean up the site.

Impacts and mitigation measures

• The girders will be transported by low-speed trucks via du Celtis street. Trucks will need to back up when delivering girders to the construction site; note that signallers will be present at all times. A back-up signal will be sounded by the trucks to ensure safety during their manoeuvres.
• Marine traffic will remain active as no work is planned in the river. The presence of floating docks around piers and the jetty in the water are indicated by buoys, and a warning for boaters navigating in the area is issued by the Canadian Coast Guard.