The Laviolette Bridge (
French: ''pont Laviolette'') is an
arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...
connecting the city of
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada to
Bécancour on the south shore of the
Saint Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connectin ...
via
Autoroute 55.
Overview
Laviolette Bridge is the only bridge that spans the Saint Lawrence River between
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
and
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
; therefore, it provides an important connection between the North and South shores of the river.
The bridge, an impressive structure with elegant aesthetics, has become a major landmark of Trois-Rivières and the
Mauricie region.
Approximately 40,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day.
History
Popular demand for a bridge had existed since the late 19th century. The construction of Laviolette Bridge did not start until 1964. On September 8, 1965, an explosion led to the bursting of a
caisson because of
water pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
, causing the death of twelve workers.
The bridge was inaugurated on December 20, 1967 by
Fernand Lafontaine, the ''ministre de la voirie'' (minister of highways) of the government of
Daniel Johnson, Sr. It thus replaced the former
ferry system in place. The name honours the founder of Trois-Rivières, the
Sieur de Laviolette
The Sieur de Laviolette was the first commander of Trois-Rivières, a Canadian city in Central Quebec.
Background
The area of Trois-Rivières (Three Rivers), located on the St Lawrence River at the mouth of the St. Maurice River, was first explo ...
.
In 2005, the Ministry of Transport of Québec began a three-year major renovation project, which caused major traffic jams throughout the summer of 2005, when the middle of the bridge was repaired. In 2006, the northern end was redone, followed by the southern end in 2007.
Specifications
*Construction: 1964–1967
*Cost: $50 million (
CAD
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...
)
*Pillars: 34
*Total length: 2,707 m
*Main span: 335 m
See also
*
Lake Saint-Pierre
*
List of crossings of the Saint Lawrence River
This is a list of bridges, ferries, and other crossings of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Saint Lawrence River, and Great Lakes, by order of south shore terminal running from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence upstream to Lake Superior.
Crossings
Quebec
Lo ...
*
List of bridges in Canada
This is a list of bridges and viaducts in Canada, including those for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
Historical and architectural interest bridges
There are only a few covered bridges left in Canada compared to all those that were built in t ...
References
*Cournoyer, Jean. ''
La Mémoire du Québec'' (2001 edition). Les Éditions internationales Alain Stanké (Montreal). .
Histoire du pont Lavioletteon Quebecweb.com
External links
*
{{Crossings navbox
, structure = Bridges
, place =
St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...
, bridge = Laviolette Bridge
, bridge signs =
, upstream =
Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ...
, upstream signs =
, downstream =
Pierre Laporte Bridge
, downstream signs =
Bridges completed in 1967
Road bridges in Quebec
Through arch bridges in Canada
Buildings and structures in Trois-Rivières
Transport in Trois-Rivières
Bridges over the Saint Lawrence River
Transport in Centre-du-Québec
Buildings and structures in Centre-du-Québec