5 Famous Bridges in Montreal

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Montreal, the economic and cultural capital of Quebec, is a cosmopolitan city with a hint of old European elegance and remarkable architecture. Its name, Montreal, originates from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill that graces the city. Despite being in Canada, Montreal is mostly a French province. French culture, art, and music have highly influenced the city of Montreal and also the bridge in Montreal.

Montreal, being one of the oldest cities in North America, offers a plethora of activities to explore and enjoy. You can enjoy Montreal sights, Montreal museums, Montreal boat tours, Montreal spas, Montreal nature, Montreal events, and not to mention, the bridges in Montreal are unmissable for the incredible skyline view they offer!

Following are 5 bridges in Montreal that you should not miss on your visit to Montreal.

Top 5 Bridges in Montreal

1. The Samuel de Champlain Bridge

bridge in Montreal
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash/ Copyright 2023

In the whole of North America, Champlain Bridge is the largest and the most important transportation infrastructure project. 28th June 2019 is the date of Champlain Bridge’s inauguration. The drive through this bridge provides an absolutely unparalleled skyline view of Montreal and the Saint Lawrence River, too.

It serves as a gateway to the Island of Montreal, connecting to its South Shore of Suburbs. Nonetheless, the bridge was named after Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer who founded Quebec City in 1608.

Known as the Golden Gate Bridge of Canada, it holds the title of the widest cable-stayed bridge globally and is designed to last 125 years. The two planes of stay cables and the central tower used to support the main deck of the bridge in Montreal are the signature elements that have replaced the 57-year-old Champlain Bridge. This new bridge is to the northern side of the original bridge. Because of the new bridge, they demolished the old bridge.

1.1 The Samuel de Champlain Bridge View

Samuel de Champlain Bridge in Montreal Canada 2021-12-05

This bridge in Montreal is 3.4 kilometers long and 60 meters wide, with a whopping eight lanes for vehicles. Over 1,60,000 vehicles cross Champlain Bridge in Montreal every day, with an estimated 59 million vehicles crossing the bridge every year! Certainly, this answers the question of why the Champlain Bridge has one of the highest levels of road traffic in Canada!

4 years of work and more than 4 billion dollars of investment gave birth to this engineering marvel! The Champlain Bridge in Montreal includes one lane in each line dedicated to buses and a multi-use lane dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians, too. Finally, the central portion tracks are for the South Shore branch of the Reseau Express Metropolitan (REM) automated rail system.

2. The Jacques Cartier Bridge (Harbour Bridge)

bridges in montreal
Image by Pascal Bernardon, on Unsplash, Copyright 2023

Originally named the Montreal Harbour Bridge, it was renamed to Jacques Cartier in 1934 to honor the 400th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s first voyage to the St. Lawrence River valley. The bridge is a steel cantilevered bridge that connects Montreal to the South Shore of Longueuil by crossing Saint Helen’s Island in the center of the river.

Jacques Cartier Bridge serves as an emblem of Montreal for its history and attractive architecture. The bridge has eight finials or architectural ornaments donated by France. They sit on the four main columns of the bridge, resembling the Eiffel Tower of France.

Jacques Cartier Bridge is a five-lane highway bridge that is 3.4 km long. Approximately 35 million vehicles cross the bridge annually, making Jacques Cartier the third busiest bridge in Canada. The bridge originally had three lanes for roadways, pedestrians, and tramways. Later, there was an extension of five lanes.

The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) is the owner and maintainer of this bridge over the St. Lawrence River.

2.1 The Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal Light Show

All about the Jacques-Cartier Bridge

In 2017, there were new decorative lights fixed on the bridge to showcase Montreal’s creative and technological vanguard.  This project, named ‘Living Connections,’ was brought to life by Moment Factory in collaboration with six local partners. This collaboration made Jacques Cartier the first ‘connected’ bridge in the world to showcase a spectacular light show at night.

The interior lighting illumination changes with the passing of seasons, while the exterior LED lighting uses 53 types of data sources like traffic flow, weather, news, social media, etc., translated in real-time. The bridge is also an integral part of the cycle of the seasons, providing a real-time pulse of Montreal life. Lastly, the best angle to witness these lights is from La Ronde theme park.

3. Victoria Bridge

Victoria Bridge: The 8th Wonder

During the 1850s, The Victoria Bridge was the longest historic bridge in the world. Hence, it earned its reputation as the 8th wonder of the world. The bridge spans over the St. Lawrence River, connecting Montreal to the South Shore city of Saint-Lambert. The bridge is 2.7 kilometers long, with two lanes on either side of the rail track.

Originally named the Great Victoria Bridge in honor of Queen Victoria, this bridge in Montreal was a tubular bridge designed by Alexander McKenzie Ross and Robert Stephenson. Later, due to an increase in rail and road traffic in 1897-1898, the metal trusses replaced this single-track metal tube.

So, in 1897, beside the old bridge, they erected a new bridge with slight alterations. The bridge had a double track and an electric tram line. Victoria Jubilee Bridge was the name given following the renovations. Then again, in 1978, the bridge got its name, Victoria Bridge (Pont Victoria.)

4. The Le Gardeur Bridge in Montreal

Montréal, pont Le Gardeur (Route 138), juillet 2022 / Le Gardeur Bridge (Highway 138), July 2022

Built in 1939, Le Gardeur Bridge is a beam bridge named after Pierre Legardeur, a French General and the first lord of Repentigny. The bridge connects Pointe-aux-Trembles, the east end of Montreal, to Repentigny—it has two sections across the Rivière des Prairies.

Approximately 20,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily. During rush hours, heavy road traffic is visible as Le Gardeur and Charles de Gaulle are the only bridges on this route. Le Gardeur Bridge is a part of Quebec Route 138, which runs from east Canada to the Cote-Nord region.

5. Charles de Gaulle Bridge in Montreal

Montréal, rivière des Prairies #1 / Montreal, rivière (River) des Prairies #1

Opened in 1965, the Charles de Gaulle Bridge is a box girder bridge built over the Rivière des Prairies. This bridge has made Montreal transportation easy by linking Montreal to the Lanaudiere region, Charlemagne. The bridge carries the name of the French President, Charles De Gaulle. He inspired the Quebec sovereignty movement with his Vive le Quebec libre speech in the 1960s.

Conclusion

To sum up, Montreal has European architectural jewels built throughout the city. So, if you ever plan to visit Montreal, definitely visit the above-mentioned Bridges to get a mesmerizing skyline view of Montreal as well as its sunsets!

 

 

Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty

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