Two engineering firms win role on Canada’s new C$2.7 billion Île d’Orléans Bridge

The 2.1km-long cable-stayed bridge will cross the St.Lawrence river to connect Québec City to Île d’Orléans. It is being developed by Québec’s Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (department of transportation and sustainable mobility).

TYLin and AtkinsRéalis’s client, GHIO, consists of Dragados Canada and EBC, which was awarded the contract to build the new bridge.

While TYLin is designing the bridge itself, AtkinsRéalis will oversee the design of roads for the entire project, interchanges, approach spans, drainage for the entire project, electricity and lighting (including for the main bridge), landscaping, and shoreline structures on both shores of the St. Lawrence River and the main bridge abutment.

The bridge consists of a 520-metre-long north approach; a 790-metre-long, three-span cable-stayed bridge; and a 740-metre-long south approach. The bridge superstructure is continuous with only two expansion joints, one at each abutment, for reduced bridge maintenance.

It provides two 3.5m-wide traffic lane running in opposite directions and a 2.5m-wide shoulder on each side of the deck. The deck also incorporates 3m-wide multipurpose paths in each direction, which allow access for maintenance vehicles.

Included in the bridge design are four belvederes, positioned at the deck level of the north and south pylon legs, which will offer views of the Montmorency Falls and downtown Québec City on the horizon.

Marwan Nader, TYLin bridge sector leader said, “We are thrilled to serve as lead bridge engineer and proud to help bring this vitally important project to life.”

The company has reunited the same team that designed the Samuel De Champain bridge in Montreal, which opened in 2019 and is the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world.

Ian L. Edwards, president and chief executive officer of AtkinsRéalis said, “Winning this new contract is another example of our ability to deliver sustainable solutions that connect people, data, and technology to deliver infrastructure that meets the highest standards in engineering and environmental management. We are thrilled to be part of this collective effort for the benefit of residents across the region.”