Galipeault Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Galipeault Bridge is a bridge on the western tip of the Island of Montreal
, spanning the Ottawa River
between Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
and L'Île-Perrot
, Quebec
, Canada. It carries four lanes of Autoroute 20
, and was named after Antonin Galipeault
, who was minister of public works under Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
. Incidentally, Taschereau Bridge
, along the same highway, was part of the same project. The first span was built in 1924, a girder bridge
that was replaced in 1991 by another structure of the same type, using the same foundations. It was doubled in 1964 with a cable-stayed bridge
, which carried the eastbound lanes of Autoroute 20 until its demolition early in 2008.
The 1964 doubling of the structure was done to appease business interests in L'Île-Perrot and Dorion
, who were worried that the abandoning of the unfinished Île Bray Bridge in favor of the nearby Île aux Tourtes Bridge
, which avoids Perrot Island completely, might hurt their activities. The original plan for a freeway out of Montreal to the west called for upgrading the highway between Galipeault and Taschereau bridges to freeway standards, the doubling of Taschereau, and the construction of a new bridge in the vicinity of Galipeault, which would have connected with Autoroute 40
on the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue side. The bridge in question, (Île Bray Bridge, which was never finished), was already under construction when the transportation ministry
changed its plans in favor of a long span across Lake of Two Mountains.
The 1991 span carried the westbound lanes until the demolition of the eastbound structure forced its use as a two-way span. The eastbound span's construction was finished in early October and opened November 28, 2009.
Like Taschereau, Galipeault was built next to a Grand Trunk Railroad bridge that was part of the first fixed link from Montreal to the outside world.
54,000 vehicles use the bridge every day, or 19.7 million a year, making it among the busiest bridges in Montreal.
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
, spanning the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
between Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is a town located at the western tip of the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is the second oldest community in Montreal's West Island, having been founded as a parish in 1703...
and L'Île-Perrot
L'Île-Perrot, Quebec
Town of Île-Perrot is a town and municipality on Île Perrot in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 9,927. The town is at the western end of Lake Saint-Louis, and borders the local island communities of Terrasse-Vaudreuil, Pincourt and...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada. It carries four lanes of Autoroute 20
Quebec Autoroute 20
Autoroute 20 is a major Quebec Autoroute, following the Saint Lawrence River through one of the more densely-populated parts of Canada, and is part of the Trans-Canada Highway. At , it is the longest Autoroute in Quebec...
, and was named after Antonin Galipeault
Antonin Galipeault
Antonin Galipeault was a Québécois politician, lawyer and judge .-Biography:Antonin Galipeault studied at a seminary in Joliette and at Université Laval, later being admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1900.He worked as a lawyer alongside Joseph-Napoléon Francoeur and Louis Saint-Laurent and later...
, who was minister of public works under Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau was a the 14th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1920 to 1936. He was elected four times, the first in 1900, in the riding of Montmorency. He was also a member of the Parti libéral du Québec...
. Incidentally, Taschereau Bridge
Taschereau Bridge
Taschereau Bridge is a bridge linking Pincourt, on Île Perrot, to Vaudreuil-Dorion, in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges RMC across the West Channel of the Ottawa River. The bridge was originally built in 1925, and was doubled in 1964, as part of the same project as Galipeault Bridge, which links the island...
, along the same highway, was part of the same project. The first span was built in 1924, a girder bridge
Girder bridge
A girder bridge, in general, is a bridge built of girders placed on bridge abutments and foundation piers. In turn, a bridge deck is built on top of the girders in order to carry traffic. There are several different subtypes of girder bridges:...
that was replaced in 1991 by another structure of the same type, using the same foundations. It was doubled in 1964 with a cable-stayed bridge
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
, which carried the eastbound lanes of Autoroute 20 until its demolition early in 2008.
The 1964 doubling of the structure was done to appease business interests in L'Île-Perrot and Dorion
Dorion
-Places:In Greece:*An ancient site near Dorio, MessiniaIn Canada:*Vaudreuil-Dorion*Laurier-Dorion, a current Quebec provincial electoral district in Montreal**Dorion, a former Quebec provincial electoral district...
, who were worried that the abandoning of the unfinished Île Bray Bridge in favor of the nearby Île aux Tourtes Bridge
Île aux Tourtes Bridge
The Île aux Tourtes Bridge is a bridge on the western tip of the Island of Montreal, spanning the Lake of Two Mountains between Senneville, and Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada. It carries 6 lanes of Autoroute 40 and is the main link between Montreal and the province of Ontario...
, which avoids Perrot Island completely, might hurt their activities. The original plan for a freeway out of Montreal to the west called for upgrading the highway between Galipeault and Taschereau bridges to freeway standards, the doubling of Taschereau, and the construction of a new bridge in the vicinity of Galipeault, which would have connected with Autoroute 40
Quebec Autoroute 40
Autoroute 40 is a major highway on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. It is one of the two main connections between Montreal and Quebec City...
on the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue side. The bridge in question, (Île Bray Bridge, which was never finished), was already under construction when the transportation ministry
Transports Québec
Le ministère des Transports du Québec , known by its short form name Transports Québec, is a Quebec government ministry responsible for transport infrastructure and law in Quebec, Canada....
changed its plans in favor of a long span across Lake of Two Mountains.
The 1991 span carried the westbound lanes until the demolition of the eastbound structure forced its use as a two-way span. The eastbound span's construction was finished in early October and opened November 28, 2009.
Like Taschereau, Galipeault was built next to a Grand Trunk Railroad bridge that was part of the first fixed link from Montreal to the outside world.
54,000 vehicles use the bridge every day, or 19.7 million a year, making it among the busiest bridges in Montreal.