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 structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...

connecting the city of

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Canada to Bécancour on the south shore of the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrenc ...

via Autoroute 55.

Overview

Laviolette Bridge is the only bridge that spans the Saint Lawrence River between

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

and

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

; it provides an important connection between the North and South shores of the river, with approximately 40,000 vehicles crossing the bridge each day. The bridge, an impressive structure with elegant aesthetics, has become a major landmark of Trois-Rivières and the

Mauricie Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making tourism in Mauricie popular. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km2 (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...

region. It is ranked as the 61st among the world's longest arch bridge spans.

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 ev ...

, 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 A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

system in place. The name honours the founder of Trois-Rivières, the Sieur de Laviolette. 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) *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

* {{Authority control 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

Overview

History

Specifications

See also

References

External links