by waves, which promotes the creation of fish
habitats. Part of the project’s environmen-
tal component also included removing brown
snakes, considered an endangered species,
from the construction area and transferring
them to another location on Île des Soeurs.
When the team went back to check on the
snakes in the spring of 2014, they were able to
locate about one-third of the population. The
successful relocation effort is being recorded in
a scientific article to be used in future develop-
ment projects.
The bridge bypass project has become an ex-
ample of the ideal marriage between engineer-
ing and environmental departments as they
worked together to finish on time and on bud-
get, while respecting the environment.
In December, JCCBI will meet another project
milestone when the new dedicated bus lane
opens. The addition expands the bridge to sev-
en lanes – six regular lanes and one lane for
buses. In the past, travellers have been accus-
tomed to the number of lanes going down to
five on the Île des Soeurs Bridge in the after-
noon since one would be limited to buses. The
dedicated bus lane adds fluidity to the traffic
flow, Tremblay said.
In addition, the new lane eliminated the need
for a traffic light on the A-15 that allowed bus-
es to enter the bridge’s dedicated lane during
rush hour, causing evening congestion. Pedes-
trians and cyclists have also benefitted from the
project with the widening of a multi-functional
path designed for non-motorists.
The project’s final details, some of which have
to wait until spring, are expected to be com-
pleted by June 2015. To learn more about the
project, visit jccbi.ca or champlainbridge.ca.
“In terms of engineering and environmental assessment, it was very,
very fast tracked.”
DECEMBER 2014
H
business elite canada
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