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

References

*Cournoyer, Jean. '' La Mémoire du Québec'' (2001 edition). Les Éditions internationales Alain Stanké (Montreal). .
Histoire du pont Laviolette
on 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