Samuel de Champlain Bridge - Building The Ultimate

[@hadrianopolis1968]

I cross the Champlain bridge by car every time I go to work and even during the worst snow storm, it is a joy ride to go above the fleuve St-Laurent on that wonderful bridge.

[@BrianBaileyedtech]

I drove across it many times the first year it opened and the view of Montreal downtown skyline, the river and Mont Royal behind it as you hit the crest of the suspension bridge driving into the city is way better than I think anyone expected! One of the most exciting city approaches in the world.

[@maximeleclerc327]

Its honestly really nice to read, I cross that bridge almost every day and even tho I agree that the view is wonderful, we unfortunatly get used to it and forget what it feels like!

[@patatebanine4278]

Montreal Skyline is more cooler than Toronto in my opinion.

[@BrianBaileyedtech]

@@patatebanine4278 Depends - for sheer volume and scope, Toronto's skyine is far more impressive than Montreal's. Toronto will soon overtake Chicago for the #3 spot in North America for # of skyscrapers - MOntreal is far, far behind. But MOntreal has a beautiful skyline view from the top of Mont Royal - nothing like the CN Tower in Toronto though as no building in Montreal can be taller than the mountain, which isn't all that high.

[@TheOriginalFILIBUSTA]

The skyline approach was the same with the old bridge.

[@IsabelleMorin-ev3ov]

Bravo magnifique reportage .

[@Montrealbywalk]

Good job . Very informative video . V r proud montrealers . Hatsoff to faces behind to build this masterpiece

[@spaidscollectables2224]

I was part of this great project what a blessing

[@ResiliencyForLifeToronto]

Amazing work What an accomplishment

[@mohammadiqbalkhan2888]

Bravo Montreal!

[@happychips1259]

Actually it was engineers in Montreal, lots of other Canadian cities, London GB, San Diego USA, etc. At its peak we estimated the engeering team of 800 was busy before the contractors mobilized to advance the construction. Peak local construction was estimated at 4k. Parts came from all over the world.

[@hdufort]

Yes! Some of the steel parts were manufactured in Spain by a company that's considered among the world's best.

[@darksahde]

hello from montreal!

[@danielseguin913]

That presentation is epic. Well done!

[@jimtripp7796]

Thank You for this wonderful Presentation simply the best I have seen on bridge construction

[@mtlnascarfan]

Going across it, you can't even tell that you're on a bridge. It feels more like you're going across an overpass. I especially love how the the St. Jacques St. overpass going over the Decarie expressway leading up to the bridge is a smaller version of the new Samuel de Champlain bridge.

[@stefr13]

The old bridge was scary at the end. Among other things, you never knew if the car was going to lose a wheel on one of the broken joints. This new bridge is a marvel and a pleasure to drive over. Let's hope it lasts 125 years as planned.

[@MrCasquenoir]

They built this thing in record time. It was pretty impressive.

[@mtsbr78]

Aleluia! Finalmente um documentário diferente de mythbusters.

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

I've biked our new bridge many times in both directions since it opened. It's really an amazing place to view the city center.

[@Unapologetically_human8349]

I was part of the project. I was cursing the delays every f..... day! I guess they pushed hard just to make me quiet the soonest possible! 😁

[@jarofejfar5093]

Most of the delays were due to VERY POOR parts made in Spain… that detail will disappear as the time goes by….

[@alradioguy2269]

Our daughter was the environmental auditor on that project.

[@carlleblanc1660]

My daughter was your daughter's boss.

[@patrickrancourt4782]

And she certainly voted to decide to dismamtle the old magnificence old champlain bridge also ?

[@silvio2164]

Must admit they did a great job.

[@TheOriginalFILIBUSTA]

Remember the toll booths on the old bridge? Buying the roll of tokens that came out to 8 cents a piece, and mastering the coin shot into the basket without stopping (and missing half the time, thereby setting off the bells)?

[@jbqu3142]

Oui, je suis assez vieux pour me souvenir des jetons de péage non seulement au vieux pont Champlain mais également au pont Jacques-Cartier. Il y avait aussi 4 ou 5 postes de péage entre Montréal et Sherbrooke sur l’autoroute des Cantons de l’Est (A10). Je me souviens aussi du ministre des transports conservateur Denis Lebel du gouvernement Harper qui menaçait d’installer un système de péage sur le nouveau pont Samuel-de-Champlain. Cette gaffe a énormément aidé à l’élection de Justin Trudeau. Good Day!

[@_eurosign]

Beautiful and I am exited about the new bridge Pont ile aux tourtes because I am commuting daily and the traffic is crazy..

[@danadian100]

You are the traffic

[@aeliusdawn]

I can see this bridge from my window!

[@europana7]

16:49 is that expansion joint damaged at the bottom?

[@francispichette1291]

I somehow saw a lot of the structures made in Québec city being transported on giant trains along highway 20 between the 2 cities. It was impressive.

[@andrefiset3569]

It was not the piers who suffered the most damage from road salt but the concrete outboard beams due to a lack of adequate drainage and these could not be replaced. They decided to use concrete instead of steel because it was cheaper.

[@JIMMY_NEMESIS]

nice RGB lit bridge

[@jeanbolduc5818]

A , 9 billion $ new fully automated Express subway , the REM: reseau exoress metropolitain, metropolitan express network ) , is crossing the Champlain bridge since 2023éé The new subway is a masterpiece of engineering of reilence and going through the Mount Royal downtown to the airport and west island . The train buily by Alstom had to be built strong in order to adapt tp harsh cold winters and ttropical summers ) from 35 c to minus 40 c . The tubbel under th Mount Royal downtown is a masterpiece of enginerring . The Mount Royal tunnel would be another amazing documentory on your channel . Montreal is a world leader in engineering , AI and high tech compagnies . The 3 rd largest aerospace center in the world and the most sustainable city in North america . Montreal s break ground on city s largest ever sponge parks in the world.

[@marystar1924]

You should talk about the Victoria bridge not too far away from the Champlain one. It is one of the oldest bridge in Canada, and probably one of the oldest in the world for this size. And btw, Montreal is no longer cold thanks to global warming. We barely have any snow and temperatures are from 15 to 35 C hotter than 30 years ago. It was 10 C a few days after X-mas 2024, that is 35 C hotter than usual temperature.

[@johnnyraven4217]

I would speculate that on top of all the corrosion protection, cathodic protection (sacrificial anodes or impressed current) is also put in place as a final safeguard against corrosion of the rebar and steel elements.

[@mhiebendaal3836]

Same for Windsor to Detroit.

[@Beauxdimanches]

Building a stronger bridge to avoid past mistakes !

[@patrickrancourt4782]

Wich mistake ?

[@Beauxdimanches]

@patrickrancourt4782 the mistake , the previous Samuel de Champlain bridge : the one that was built before , by the lowest bidder without even thinking of drainage ! The previous Champlain bridge never crossed the 40 years mark before showing structural damage !

[@joesutherland225]

Putting the drain pipes inside the towers is a mistake should be stainless and outside the towers to facilitate inspection and repair of those drains.they will leak eventually.😊

[@Alain.Robert]

I love those armchair engineers who think the real engineers didn't think of that.

[@soarraos]

A year or 2 ago I remember there was a little ice storm and they closed a few lanes (maybe the whole bridge) because ice was STILL falling onto the ground below, lol.

[@joesutherland225]

Galloping girdy

[@mhiebendaal3836]

Erie's crossing will be next.

[@tkdbrother1977]

I grew up in Brossard and crossed the notorious bridge almost everyday. I am happy the old bridge was replaced.

[@Jamule3]

I live in saint-constant so it is not far

[@patrickrancourt4782]

Old bridge was solid !!!! But it was ok to replace But No need to dismantle this peice of art architecture Only woke's can make horror's to erase history like that Only them !!!!!

[@marcleslac2413]

To think now all thats left of the old one is a single pillar on the south shore, you can see it eazy from a rem train

[@Mikesalloum]

It's a shame that they did not mention or show much about the train rain in between both traffic lanes

[@bertranddube8094]

This is a great Canadian bridge, I think I've heard 125 years at least 125 times...hahaha

[@tk667]

After 3y of existence, it's already filled with potholes. Great engineering there...

[@nicolemarois5900]

Quebec engineers are on another level!

[@chengzi6416]

As someone living in the South shore of Montreal metropolitan area, I can guarantee you that every quebecer will disagree with this statement 😂😂😂

[@pilote111]

@@chengzi6416 I think it’s more a political issue than an engineering issue

[@mrowniii]

@@chengzi6416 tu ne dois pas connaitre beaucoup de vrais Québécois pour dire de tels mensonges. Il est peut être temps de retourner chez toi.

[@vojo58]

@@chengzi6416 Faux, totalement faux. Commentaire stupide et inutile. «Quebec bashing» primaire🤬

[@nicoracien1924]

They wear a steel ring from the fallen bridge of Quebec City... To remind them what happen if they fail at their task.

[@jeffletendre5025]

Why the sound effects, are we watching a blockbuster or?

[@bluemoon8498]

Now they are fixing the tunnel😂

[@robno5223]

I keep hearing 125 years no one is going to be around to point fingers at when it only lasts half that. Stainless steel still corrodes just less and slower than steel or epoxy coated steel. Salt is not good for anything but it sure melts ice.

[@sammylance]

I have a feeling that the water drainage going through the pillars is going to rust and then it’s gonna start corroding by the inside

[@Alain.Robert]

it's in plastic. Most probably ABS or PVC. it doesn't rust.

[@oldodger]

I'm 70 born in Quebec and living in Ontario. I'm current in general NEWS around the world but I have never heard of this new bridge. Why is it secret? Way to go eh.

[@gogreen3895]

Moi aussi. Not even my Quebec friends mentioned it. Have to insist on a ride over next time I visit.

[@Alain.Robert]

It was opened more than 2 years ago. Now there's even a light train running in the middle section.

[@claudelebel49]

Interesting, but the hype is exhausting,

[@murn20091]

What is difference that makes the engineering more special then the Confederation Bridge. All I can see is I have to pay $50.25 to cross 15km Confederation bridge and the Federal Government is not charging Montreal nor Quebec.

[@daniellarrivee-ic3lg]

Montréal QUÉBEC Canada

[@TheBostonstapler]

all the bolts are already rusting and leaking rust on the white facades ...

[@xbvg]

pff not even close to being the toughest. Just next to it is the victoria bridge. It's 164 years old and has barely needed maintenance since construction. The only thing that is better with Champlain is the flow and the corruption.

[@fuzzwork]

Yeah but building piers out of limestone blocks isn't exactly cost effective these days LoL

[@xbvg]

@@fuzzwork yeah but they said the thoughest and limestone is more cost effective, harder to hide the corruption. Champlain should have 6x the actual number of piers considering how much concrete was poured and if you added a train line in the middle, it would collapse. Victoria bridge they added roads to it without any problem and considering the very low maintenance and the very long life span, cost effective seems to push toward the victoria bridge. Remember it only costed 6.6 millions. Today a viaduct cost at minimum twice this number.

[@mtlnascarfan]

The Victoria has a single lane on each side whereas the SDC bridge has 3 lanes each side that handles millions of cars each year. That's a massive difference in wear and tear. Also, the Victoria didn't have any cars on it for half a century, only horse and buggies along with the trains that ran along the middle. If the Victoria was built at the same time and endured the same traffic like the Champlain did it would be in the same shape as the original Champlain, I assure you.

[@xbvg]

@@mtlnascarfan Lol no, Victoria has a train line, do you known how much a commercial train weight? Your champlain cheap ass bridge would collapse with 2 lanes of cars and a train line.

[@fuzzwork]

@@xbvg yeah the cost of things go up with inflation. 6.6 million when construction started on the Victoria bridge piers in 1854 is equivalent to about 240 million today. And that doesn't count the cost of rebuilding from single track tubular to double track truss in 1897, nor does it count the tramway tracks that were added at that time (where cars run now). you can't compare apples to oranges

[@snikgg]

Most advanced bridge in North America yet a speed limit of 80 km/h lmao >.>

[@sergiovalcarcel7219]

Why do you need to go quicker? It increases risks of accidents in a critical roadway

[@semiretired6033]

It’s not a race track, it’s a bridge.

[@snikgg]

@@semiretired6033 it’s also the highway. Did I say go 200? Lol

[@semiretired6033]

@snikgg 80. Kms is fast enough on an elevated structure, such as a bridge. Especially one as well traveled as the Champlain bridge. Too many vehicles using that bridge, many of whom are intimidated when driving over bridges, especially huge ones. 80 kms is a comfortable speed imo.

[@Kakwann]

its 80 so people go 100... if it was 100 people would go faster.

[@Egzoset]

Ultimate is a very poor choice of words in this exact context, but i suppose nobody cares for its history in UK.

[@kemicbi]

Yeah this bridge was super simple and easy to build Canada/Montreal have the expertise and materials, it just comes at a huge cost, no one does anything for free. We have the engineering might and the brains but at way too high a cost. Government budgets are not enough to get infrastructure projects built nowadays they basically have to dip their hands in to our public pension to cover the extremely high costs that are demanded by these private companies, robbing us blind.

[@cedricpomerleau5586]

If we compare to the Baltimore bridge, its reconstruction is estimated at nearly 2 billions USD, which is 2.9 billons CAD. Considering it's only two third the lenght of Champlain bridge, it's in a similar price range (4.2 billions CAD for the Champlain bridge). And it's only a 4 lanes bridge, not a 8 lanes bridge like the Champlain bridge, it doesn't have a train deck in the middle and it's only a premilinary cost, not the final cost. Considering US big projects have a tendancy to double their initial budget, I wouldn't be surprised if the Baltimore bidge ends up being more expensive than the Champlain bridge, while being an inferior and shorter bridge. Of course, it's not a direct comparison, the Baltimore bridge is a bit higher and the longest span is bigger, but still, that shows that the Champlain bridge wasn't that crazy expensive if we compare to north american prices.

[@kemicbi]

@ Federal spending bill passed by congress covers full cost to replace the bridge, it’s going to be a free for all for the contractors. Baltimore does not have the cash to fund construction nor the man power to keep costs/corruption under control. Eventually these firms are going to be demanding double digit billions to build a bridge.

[@etow8034]

Giving praise to a 3.4km bridge that cost over $3.5 billion and took over 8 years to build and another 3 years to tear down ? Soon they will be giving praise to a 3.4m wooden plank over a pothole ! Get real people other countries are building 35km bridges at the same cost at less than half the time !

[@iamanisland]

Examples ? Name of country(ies) & bridges ?

[@cedricpomerleau5586]

@@iamanisland They'll find a 2 lane bridge that's way lower, without a train track, and without a central pillar and to compare. Or they'll compare to something done in China. If we compare to a new bridge recently in the news, the Baltimore bridge reconstruction is estimated at nearly 2 billions USD, which is 2.9 billons CAD. Considering it's only two third the lenght of Champlain bridge, it's in a similar price range (4.2 billions CAD for the Champlain bridge). And it's only a 4 lanes bridge, not a 8 lanes bridge like the Champlain bridge, it doesn't have a train deck in the middle and it's only a premilinary cost, not the final cost. Of course, it's not a direct comparison, the Baltimore bridge is a bit higher and the longest span is bigger, but still, that shows that the Champlain bridge wasn't that crazy expensive.

[@patrickrancourt4782]

The old bridge opened in 1962 Was so top classy hiway bridge than this new ordinary ehanced one, opened in july 2019 So big !!! So long !!! So American hiway superstructure feelsgood mood !!!! So kick ass !!!! But sadly lot of peice's of shitty woke's decided to distmantle this magistral peice-of-art modern architecture gem in 2022 RIP champlain bridge 1962-2022 Its crimininal to erase our past like they did 😮

[@shawnpodlesak2498]

I think it might just be nostalgia. I would argue that the old bridge is much more "American highway superstructure" with it's Pittsburgh steelwork megastructure look. The new one might be bigger but in my opinion has a much more sleek and elegant look. But I get it, part of Montreal's history is being erased, it's a shame and I totally agree. But what would have been a better solution? To let the old bridge rot and crumble over decades, then let it sit at the bottom of the river?

[@memethem]

I think it's hilarious we get a discovery style documentary with the annoying announcer and movie trailer editing / BGM. It's a truly unremarkable bridge.

[@squidlips6661]

This project is a load of shit. I'm from Monteal and this project is a hidden disaster, the erors and problems reported will becpome surely a problem in the next 10 years. Good luck!

[@iamanisland]

And your credentials for making such a statement are ?

[@mhiebendaal3836]

I'd beg to differ and would like to see Your data. I cross "Your bridge". I don't believe You or this channel.

[@chinajoe6510]

It’s NOT 3 months. That time is for pouring concrete only.