Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel (Pont-Tunnel Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine) is a Canadian
highway bridge-tunnel
running over and beneath the St. Lawrence River. It connects the Island of Montreal
with the south shore
of the river at Longueuil
, Quebec
.
Construction began in 1963 and it was commissioned on March 11, 1967. Named for the respected Lower Canada
political reformer Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
, the Lafontaine Tunnel is an immersed tube
structure, measuring 1391 m (4,563.6 ft) long. It carries the Autoroute 25
expressway and passes beneath Île Charron (Îles de Boucherville & entrance/exit #1 of Autoroute 25), as well as the main shipping channel in the St. Lawrence River immediately downstream from the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
highway bridge-tunnel
Bridge-tunnel
A fixed link, fixed crossing, or bridge-tunnel is a persistent, unbroken road or rail connection across water that uses some combination of bridges, tunnels, and causeways and does not involve intermittent connections such as drawbridges or ferries.The Confederation Bridge was commonly referred to...
running over and beneath the St. Lawrence River. It connects the Island of 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....
with the south shore
South Shore (Montreal)
The South Shore is the general term for the suburbs of Montreal, Quebec located on the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River opposite the Island of Montreal. The South Shore is located within the Quebec administrative region of Montérégie....
of the river at Longueuil
Longueuil
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
, 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....
.
Construction began in 1963 and it was commissioned on March 11, 1967. Named for the respected Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
political reformer Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , 1st Baronet, KCMG was the first Canadian to become Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a responsible government in Canada. He was born in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1807...
, the Lafontaine Tunnel is an immersed tube
Immersed tube
An immersed tube is a kind of underwater tunnel composed of segments, constructed elsewhere and floated to the tunnel site to be sunk into place and then linked together. They are commonly used for road and rail crossings of rivers, estuaries and sea channels/harbours...
structure, measuring 1391 m (4,563.6 ft) long. It carries the Autoroute 25
Quebec Autoroute 25
Autoroute 25 is an Autoroute in the Lanaudière region of Quebec. It is currently long....
expressway and passes beneath Île Charron (Îles de Boucherville & entrance/exit #1 of Autoroute 25), as well as the main shipping channel in the St. Lawrence River immediately downstream from the St. Lawrence Seaway.