The Le Gardeur Bridge is a

beam bridge Beam bridges are the simplest structural forms for bridge spans supported by an abutment or pier at each end. No moments are transferred throughout the support, hence their structural type is known as '' simply supported''. The simplest beam ...

that connects the east end of the island of Montreal, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, to Repentigny. The bridge has two sections across the Rivière des Prairies, which are separated by Île Bourdon. The length of the structures is (west) and (east). Built in 1939, the bridge underwent a major reconstruction in 2001 as well as the addition of a reserved lane for the Metrobus on the eastern structure. The work included the demolition, reconstruction and widening of the bridge deck, which included the new transit lane, and its approaches as well as the rehabilitation of the 24 pillars. The Ministry of Transport also made emergency repairs in 1999 to solidify the structure, and frequent inspections were made between 1999 and the reconstruction of the bridge, which was estimated at over $26 million."Reconstruction des ponts Le Gardeur entre Repentigny et Montréal"
/ref> The bridge is part of Quebec Route 138, which runs from the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...

southwest of Huntingdon to the Côte-Nord region via Trois-Rivières and Quebec City. It is one of only two river crossings at the eastern tip of Montreal to the Lanaudière region ( Repentigny, Charlemagne and

Lavaltrie Lavaltrie is a city located within the D'Autray Regional County Municipality in the southern part of the region of Lanaudière, Quebec, Canada, northeast of Montreal outside the suburban sprawl of the North Shore (i.e., the suburbs located north ...

areas), the other being the Charles de Gaulle Bridge on Quebec Autoroute 40. This section of Route 138 is named Notre-Dame Street, and the eastern end of the bridge also marks the start of the

Chemin du Roy The Chemin du Roy (; French for "King's Highway" or "King's Road") is a historic road along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The road begins in Repentigny and extends almost eastward towards Quebec City, its eastern terminus ...

, a portion of Route 138 that follows the historic road to Quebec City. Each day, approximatively 20,000 vehicles use the bridge, which is an alternative route to the more congested Charles de Gaulle Bridge during rush hours. The road has two lanes of traffic in each direction, together with sidewalks and a bicycle lane/path. On both sides of the bridge, it is known as Rue Notre-Dame but immediately after crossing the bridge, westbound Route 138 turns into Sherbrooke Street via a new

roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...

through most of the eastern half of the island, including

Downtown Montreal Downtown Montreal ( French: ''Centre-Ville de Montréal'') is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The district is situated on the southernmost slope of Mount Royal, and occupies the western portion of the borough of Vil ...

. A railway bridge used for Via Rail train service is just west of Pierre Le Gardeur Bridge. The bridge is named after Pierre Legardeur (1600–1648), a New France general and the first lord of Repentigny.

References

{{Streets in Montreal Bridges completed in 1939 Bridges in Montreal Girder bridges in Canada Rivière des Prairies Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles Road bridges in Quebec Transport in Repentigny, Quebec

See also

References