Des Allumettes Bridge Replacement Project

Watch here to see the installation of the central steel portion of the new bridge!

Lane closures

For advance notice of lane closures on the Des Allumettes Bridge, please refer to the Canada News Centre's Media Advisory page.

Information will also be provided to local media through public notices in local newspapers, Twitter and this website.

Background

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is responsible for 19 engineering assets across the country, including the Des Allumettes Bridge and is carrying out a five-year major capital work plan to ensure they remain safe. As part of this plan, PWGSC is proceeding with the replacement of the bridge.

In 1953, the federal Department of Public Works and the provinces of Quebec and Ontario agreed to construct an interprovincial crossing to link western Quebec to the province of Ontario near Pembroke, and to expand the corridor of Quebec Highway 148. The provinces were responsible for building bridges over other waterways within their respective provincial jurisdictions and Canada was responsible for building the interprovincial bridge over the main Ottawa River channel at the border between the two provinces.

The Des Allumettes Bridge crosses the main channel of the Ottawa River just southeast of Pembroke, linking Ontario to the municipality of L’Isle-aux-Allumettes in Quebec. The bridge is an important interprovincial transportation link between Highway 17 in Ontario and Highway 148 in Quebec, particularly for the forest industry. It carries about 5,000 vehicles per day with a commercial vehicle component of about 10 per cent.

The Des Allumettes Bridge was designed in 1955 and constructed in 1957 by the Department of Public Works.

Scope of the activities

The general scope of work for the Des Allumettes Bridge Project is as follows:

Construct a new bridge close to the existing bridge.
Remove the existing structure.
Maintain traffic during construction.

Upcoming activities

Currently, a single-lane operation of the existing bridge will remain in place until the new bridge opens, along with wired lights located at each bridge end for traffic control.

The new bridge should be open by the end of summer 2015.

Previous activities

In the fall of 2011, PWGSC proceeded with a Request for Proposals for the tendering of an engineering design consultant for the bridge rehabilitation project. This process was conducted in a fair, open and transparent manner through the Government Electronic Tendering System.

In February 2012, PWGSC announced the awarding of an engineering design contract valued at $1,169,659.61 to Delcan Corporation of Ottawa, Ontario, for the replacement of the Des Allumettes Bridge.

The contract was competitively awarded, and Delcan Corporation provided engineering design services and prepared the construction drawings and specifications for the replacement of the bridge.

The construction drawings and specifications were completed in January 2014, and an invitation to tender was posted on the Government Electronic Tendering System Buyandsell.gc.ca on February 26, 2014.

On April 29, 2014, following a competitive bidding process, PWGSC announced the awarding of a $26.9-million contract to Pomerleau Inc. of Montréal for the replacement of the Des Allumettes Bridge.

In July 2014, work on the interprovincial bridge commenced. Recently achieved project milestones include the construction of the causeways from the Ontario and Quebec shorelines; the construction of the new bridge piers and abutments; the installation of the structural steel; the removal of contaminated soils from the site; and the construction of the new Quebec and Ontario bridge approaches.

Public information session

The answers listed below are in response to questions that were raised during the public information session held on September 18, 2013.

Why replace the current Des Allumettes Bridge?

The Des Allumettes Bridge is at the end of its serviceable life and needs to be replaced.

Why is PWGSC in charge of this bridge?

In 1953, the federal Department of Public Works and the provinces of Quebec and Ontario agreed to build an interprovincial bridge that would extend Quebec’s Highway 148 and link western Quebec to the province of Ontario, near the city of Pembroke. The provinces were responsible for building bridges over other waterways in their respective jurisdictions, whereas Canada was responsible for building the interprovincial bridge over the main Ottawa River channel that connected the two provinces.

PWGSC is responsible for the day-to-day operations and long-term maintenance of the bridge, whereas the provinces are responsible for snow removal and de-icing.

Why are you replacing the existing bridge with a new one? Why not repair the existing bridge?

The preliminary studies revealed a number of options available regarding the existing bridge:

Repair of the existing bridge.
Partial replacement of the existing bridge.
Replacement of the existing bridge while maintaining the same alignment.
Replacement of the existing bridge with a new alignment.

The findings of the financial and non-financial analyses indicate that the most advantageous option is replacing the existing bridge by building a new bridge on a new alignment. With this option, the existing bridge can remain in service during the construction of the new bridge. When the new bridge is in service, PWGSC will demolish the old bridge.

Is the bridge safe?

Yes, the bridge is safe. PWGSC has a rigorous inspection program in place, where monthly and quarterly inspections are conducted on the Des Allumettes Bridge to ensure that its condition remains within standards. Ongoing assessments and evaluations of bridge components are being undertaken and any issue identified will be addressed.

Has an engineering contract been awarded? What did the contract award process involve? What company was involved in the project? What is the scope of the services to be provided by the consultant?

In the fall of 2011 a competition was launched for engineering consultant services concerning the replacement of the Des Allumettes Bridge. This process adhered to all of PWGSC's contracting rules. In early 2012, PWGSC completed the evaluation of the bids received and awarded a contract to Delcan Corporation of Ottawa, Ontario, in the amount of $1,169,659.61.

The scope of the engineering consultant services covers each phase of the project, namely:

the pre-design and analysis of project requirements;
the conceptual design;
the design development; and
the construction documents.

The primary goal of this project is to replace the Des Allumettes Bridge and demolish the existing bridge in accordance with the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code and any updates that are made to the Code. The demolition of the existing bridge must include decommissioning of the bridge, management of construction waste, protection of the environment, dismantling of the structure and removal of the sub-structure to a depth of one metre below ground level, as well as removal of the sub-structure in the river in order to comply with the requirements of the relevant authorities.

What will be the life span of the new bridge?

The anticipated life of the new bridge will be 75 years.

Where will the new bridge be located? How did you determine the new alignment? There are a lot of local concerns about the proposed alignment (safety, noise, dust, etc.). Did PWGSC consult the local stakeholders about the new alignment?

The new bridge will be built immediately adjacent to the old bridge on the downstream side.

A technical engineering study and a financial study were performed to determine the best alignment for the new bridge. Three different alignments were assessed: upstream, downstream and current alignments. The downstream side has been assessed as the best new bridge alignment.

As the new structure will be built immediately beside the current one, PWGSC does not expect any change to the existing conditions (such as noise, safety and security). Environmental studies performed by third-party consultants have confirmed this finding.

The different alignment options and the assessment were presented to the local municipalities; the majority of the stakeholders supported the new bridge alignment.

What technical studies and analyses are being done to plan the project and create the plans and specifications?

The project team and the consultant mandated with the project design have developed numerous technical analyses, including:

a traffic study;
a survey and an inventory of navigable water users;
an archaeological assessment;
a natural environment assessment;
an environmental site assessment;
an environmental effects evaluation;
a geotechnical investigation and analysis; and
a hydraulic analysis and study.

Has an environmental effects evaluation been done to determine the impact on the environment? What measures are being taken to manage the impact on the environment (hours of work, level of noise and vibration, quality of drinking water, volume of heavy traffic, amount of dust, etc.)?

An environmental effects evaluation was completed pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (2012). The required mitigation measures were identified and will be implemented during the construction of the new bridge. The mitigation measures will cover the quality of air and water, soil, surface and ground water, vegetation, endangered species, fish and aquatic habitat, birds, health and safety, noise, drinking water and other elements. This report provides details on the assessment of potential environmental impacts of the replacement of the Des Allumettes Bridge. The analysis of potential residual effects determined that the project's potential environmental impact is not significant.

Measures are being proposed to protect birds and fish, but what are the possible impacts on drinking water for nearby residents? What measures are being taken to ensure water quality?

In addition to a series of detailed measures to manage environmental issues—consisting of an environmental protection plan, an erosion and sediment control plan, a dewatering project management plan and an action and response plan for spills—a surface water sampling program will also be implemented that will require water sampling before, during and after construction at residences that may use untreated surface water as a source of potable water. Sampling parameters would include, but would not be limited to, coliform bacteria (including E. coli and total coliforms), turbidity, metals and general chemistry parameters.

Has lighting for the bridge been planned? Are there plans for a bicycle path on the existing bridge to connect the existing adjacent infrastructure?

For the existing bridge, no additional lighting is currently being planned as part of this project. PWGSC is increasing the width of the shoulders of the bridge from 1.6 m to 1.75 m in order to match the width with that of Highway 148 with respect to the Route Verte. PWGSC is also increasing the height of the railings on the bridge from 1,050 mm to 1,400 mm.

How can we get information on the status and progress of this project?

The project team keeps regional stakeholders informed on the progress of this project. The project website will be updated regularly to provide status reports on project progress.

Are you consulting with stakeholders?

The Government of Canada is maintaining open, proactive and transparent communication with the residents, commuters and business owners in the Pembroke and Pontiac region during the repairs to the existing bridge and replacement of Des Allumettes Bridge.

PWGSC consulted stakeholders as well as the surrounding communities and municipalities to ensure that the work conducted on Des Allumettes Bridge will be in the best interests of the community and ensure best value to Canadian taxpayers. Two meetings (in September 2012 and in June 2013) were held with several local stakeholders to present the project and obtain feedback. In addition, PWGSC held a public information session in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes in September 2013, to present the final design of the new bridge.

Why are there lane reductions on the Des Allumettes Bridge?

Recent inspections revealed that some components are deteriorating more rapidly than originally anticipated. To ensure the existing bridge remains structurally sound until the new bridge is completed, load restrictions, through lane reductions, must be put in place.

This is the most economically viable and least disruptive option for users. This will allow traffic flow to continue with an approximate maximum delay of four minutes in either direction. Temporary traffic lights are installed at either end of the bridge to control the flow of traffic while allowing commuters and commercial traffic to maintain a direct route through the communities.

A more permanent traffic system will be put in place in the coming months to enhance this process. Advanced signage will be installed to advise motorists to slow down when approaching the bridge, speed will be lowered to 60 km/hr and signage will be installed on the Quebec side near the entrance to the golf course in order to advise motorists not to block the entrance when waiting to cross the bridge.

Will emergency crews have full access to the bridge?

Yes. The lane reductions will not impede or pose a risk to emergency response vehicles.

Will boats and other watercraft be affected by the project?

No. Boats and other watercraft will be able to navigate the area and the clearance will be the same as it currently is. The current navigational channel is 6.4 m by 48.4 m.

Will snow clearing be affected by traffic signage in place for the lane reduction on the Des Allumettes Bridge?

No. Snow clearing will be conducted as usual.

Will there be any changes to Beckett View Drive?

Some changes will be made to Beckett View Drive. The changes will include a slight realignment of the city right-of-way and the closure of one entrance to Beckett View Drive from Highway 17.

Feedback and contact information

If you would like to provide feedback or obtain more information, please contact PWGSC's Real Property Branch.