Canada’s Infrastructure and Communities Minister François-Philippe Champagne was in Montreal on Wednesday to provide an update on the ongoing work on the Champlain Bridge and to unveil its new name — the Samuel De Champlain Bridge.
WATCH: Canada’s Infrastructure and Communities Minister François-Philippe Champagne was in Montreal Wednesday to unveil the name of the new Champlain Bridge and to provide an update on the ongoing work.
Champagne called it “a legendary name for a structure that will mark history.”
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The new bridge, meant to replace the aging structure of the Champlain Bridge, was supposed to be open to traffic on Dec. 21.
Officials, however, announced in late October, the bridge wouldn’t be ready until June 2019, due to finishing work such as paving and waterproofing the slab which can’t be done in the winter months.
WATCH: Champlain Bridge opening pushed back
Champagne said work on the 3.4-kilometre structure is “essentially complete,” and thanked the crews for their hard work.
Pierre Desroches, a construction superintendent on the project, also expressed his satisfaction at a job well done.
“A nice project like that, we have to be proud of it,” he said. “It’s going to be with us for 125 years — and we made it.”
Although a 60-centimetre gap remains, it is technically possible to walk across the entire span that joins Montreal and the South Shore.
While the June 30 deadline remains unchanged, negotiations between the government and the contractor over late fees and penalties are ongoing.
“When there are delays, there are consequences,” Champagne said Wednesday. “In parallel to the celebration we have this morning we have commercial discussions ongoing.”