Five years after the first construction contract was awarded, the Champlain Bridge opened to traffic on June 28, 1962. This toll bridge opened without an official ceremony.

At the time, the only approach to the bridge was from Wellington Street in Montréal. The Champlain Bridge had six lanes, three in each direction and a concrete median.

The construction of the Champlain Bridge cost approximately $35 million in 1962 including the approaches and Bonaventure Expressway, the total cost was approximately $52 million.

Toll period from 1962 to 1990

Upon its inauguration, a 25-cent toll per vehicle was imposed to reimburse the $35 million invested in this 3.4-km-long megastructure.

For nearly 30 years, tens of thousands of coins and tokens were thrown daily into the toll booths installed at both ends of the bridge. Following an election promise by the federal MP for La Prairie, this practice was abolished on May 5, 1990.

Credit: JCCBI
Champlain Bridge toll booth in 1962.

Credit: JCCBI
The bridge opened on June 28, 1962.

Structural deficiencies

In 1960, a report found that the concrete pier caps on bridge piers 37W to 43W required reinforcement. Poured on site in 1959, these pier caps needed to be reinforced before adding the bridge superstructure (i.e., the girders and the deck slab). The plan involved adding post-tensioning bars.

These high-strength steel rods were to be installed in holes drilled through the pier caps, to compensate for shear deficiencies. The structural deficiencies detected during bridge construction were related to the clamps and rod configuration. The proposed method for correcting the issues with the initial design was explained in a design note submitted by the McNamara-Key-Deschamps consortium on Mary 24, 1960.

Major reinforcement with post-tensioning cables

In 1963-1964, the pier caps on piers 2E and 2W of the Champlain Bridge were significantly strengthened using Freyssinet post-tensioning cables. A total of 44 cables (22 on each pier) were installed. Each one was protected by a galvanized steel pipe and covered by a concrete lining.

Credit : JCCBI
Extract of the reinforcement scheme as prepared by H.H.L. Pratley in September of 1963.