New public space unveiled on Montreal’s South Shore marking end of old Champlain Bridge deconstruction

A new public park was unveiled Wednesday at the foot of the original Champlain Bridge on Montreal’s South Shore.

For Anna Simonyan, who works nearby, the new pathway is already becoming part of her daily routine.

“Summer started and it’s open and it suddenly looks so pretty,” she said. “It’s a beautiful surprise and I enjoyed it every day, it’s my little tradition.”

The inauguration of the Héritage Champlain Pathway marked the end of the $345-million project to tear down the old bridge. The pathway stretches across three areas — Nuns’ Island, the Seaway dike and Brossard — with pedestrian and cycling paths connecting people to the river.

“We wanted to recycle and to make sure that there was a second life to all the material,” said Raphaël Lavoie, senior director of projects at Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), the company responsible for the operation of the bridges connecting the island of Montreal to the South Shore.

“Our main objective was 80 per cent and we recycled and reused 96 per cent of the materials,” said Lavoie

“It was part of our history, this bridge, it was important for people so that’s why we valorized all the materials,” he added. “We put some panels explaining the biodiversity, the history of the bridge, so we make sure that there’s a commemoration of the old Champlain bridge.”

He said the deconstruction of the original Champlain Bridge involved “unprecedented” technical and other challenges due to its proximity to urban centres and the St. Lawrence River. The cost was estimated to be $400 million but was completed under budget after several years of work.

The company added that the materials from the original structure were reused or recycled across various projects in the country. Aquatic and shoreline habitats were restored.

Alexandra Mendès, MP for Brossard—Saint-Lambert, applauded the project’s completion in an environmentally-friendly manner.

“The fact that the materials have been reused and that this careful thought about how to ensure that the environment is protected, I think it was a very big challenge,” Mendès said. “I was expecting a few complaints in my office — not a single one.”

The pathway is now open to the public, with spaces designed for people with different levels of mobility and connected to Montreal’s bicycle network.

A new chapter for a bridge that once carried millions of people across the St. Lawrence.

“I think this is a very beautiful meditation place and you just take this little break and you enjoy,” said Simonyan.