Champlain Bridge consortium files lawsuit

Signature on the Saint Lawrence claims the Canadian federal government passed a large part of additional costs onto SSL.
By David Arminas October 25, 2021 Read time: 2 mins
The new Samuel De Champlain Bridge has six vehicle lanes plus two lanes in the middle of for electric commuter trains (image courtesy SSL)

The consortium that oversaw construction of the Champlain Bridge has filed a lawsuit against the federal government claiming it failed to honour its contract.

Signature on the Saint Lawrence consortium, that includes SNC-Lavalin, ACS Infrastructure and Hochtief PPP Solutions, said that the Canadian federal government passed a large part of additional costs onto SSL, according to a report in the Toronto Star newspaper.
       
The lawsuit for nearly US$302 million (€256.7 million) noted that the old bridge near Montreal in the province of Quebec would be used for transporting construction material for the new bridge being built close be. But in 2016 the provincial agency Transports Quebec imposed significant weight limits for trucks forcing the consortium to resort to barging in supplies which raised construction costs and interfered with the timetable.

Even before this, in September 2015, six months after the partnership contract was signed, the government decided to abolish tolling on the bridge. It was a decision that had financial implications for the consortium that had signed only several months before a public-private partnership deal worth US$34 billion and with a scheduled opening of December 1, 2018. The 3.4km bridge – of a 6km corridor that was constructed - finally opened in June 2019.

Infrastructure Canada, the federal agency responsible for the public-private partnership, denied not having honoured its end of the contract and remains committed to working with SSL.

The new Samuel De Champlain Bridge has six vehicle lanes plus two lanes running in the middle of the bridge for electric public transit trains. The bridge runs from the Ile des Soeurs to Brossard, immediately downstream from the existing Champlain Bridge.

Every year, around 50 million vehicles crossed the old bridge, Canada’s most heavily travelled bridge and a major route for traffic to and from the US. Construction of the existing steel truss cantilever bridge, as well as accompanying approaches and the Bonaventure Expressway, started in 1957 and finished in 1962. Of the old 14.5km-long complex, the bridge is 7.4km.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • SSL hits back over criticism of its work on the Champlain Bridge
    December 11, 2017
    The contactor building the replacement Champlain Bridge in Canada has hit back over of allegations of poor workmanship in the US$3.3 billion project. The new 3.4km cable-stayed Champlain Bridge over the St Lawrence River will have six lanes vehicle lanes and a separate cycle and pedestrian lane. Design life is 125 years and is being constructed under a public-private partnership and operating contract of 30 years after completion of construction. Work includes construction of a smaller bridge for Île des
    Read More
  • Montreal’s new Champlain Bridge is shaping up for Christmas
    September 10, 2018
    Montreal’s Champlain Bridges - one going up, one coming down, reports David Arminas The importance of the new Champlain Bridge to Montreal and Canada can’t be overstated, given the crumbling nature of the not-so-old original Champlain Bridge. The original steel truss affair across the St Lawrence River and the adjacent St Lawrence Seaway canal is “a lifeline for residents and businesses” in greater Montréal, according to the national Auditor General - the public sector spending watchdog. “It accommodates
    Read More
  • JCCBI says US$300m for demolishing Montreal’s old Champlain Bridge
    April 11, 2017
    Tearing down the old steel truss cantilever Champlain Bridge in Montreal could cost around US$300 million, according to preliminary estimates by a federal government agency. Also, until the nearby new Champlain Bridge is finished, it will cost US$93 million annually to maintain the old one, according to Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), the federal Canadian agency that oversees several major road infrastructure assets in the city. Dismantling will start in 2019 at the earliest and
    Read More
  • Canada: Champlain Bridge deal awarded to SNC-Lavalin consortium
    April 17, 2015
    The Canadian government has awarded a multi-billion dollar contract for the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, in the province of Quebec, to a consortium led by SNC-Lavalin. The firm, based in Montreal, will design, build, maintain and operate the toll bridge under a 35-year public-private partnership deal worth between US$2.5-$4.1 billion. The consortium called Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group includes Spanish firms Dragados Canada and ACS Infrastructures and the US firm Flatiron Construction. Other
    Read More

Highlighted Content