AtkinsRéalis, part of a consortium with TYLin, has won a contract for design work on the planned Île d’Orléans Bridge project near Quebec City, Canada.
The contract was awarded by the main contractor for the entire bridge project, Groupe Héritage Île-d’Orléans S.E.N.C. that comprises Dragados Canada and EBC, a civil and mining engineering consultancy.
The new 2.1km-long bridge will replace a similarly named bridge that opened in 1935. For the planned cable stayed structure –- to be 200m away from the old one – AtkinsRéalis, part of SNC-Lavalin Group, will oversee the design of roads, interchanges, approach spans, terrestrial structures, landscaping and related works on both shores of the St. Lawrence River.
The US$1.96 billion (C$2.7 billion) project will be entirely financed by the Quebec government. The work by AtkinsRéalis will include demolition of the old bridge, according to the Department of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility. Between 12,000 and 15,000 vehicles use the old bridge daily, according to the Quebec government.
For the new bridge, an interchange will be constructed on the north shore at the junction of A-40, Route 368 and Route 138, in addition to reconstruction of A-40 and Route 138, known as Sainte-Anne Boulevard. An integral part of the project is the construction of a compensation pond for the wildlife habitat, connecting roads as well as power supply, lighting, smart transportation and telecommunication equipment.
Meanwhile, a comprehensive sustainability plan as measured by the Envision system, developed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, will be incorporated into the project. The institute is an education and research nonprofit based in Washington DC. It was established in 2010 by the American Public Works Association (APWA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).
Responding to the need for a comprehensive sustainability framework and rating system suitable for use in civil infrastructure development, the institute developed its Envision framework. It encourages systemic changes in the planning, design and delivery of sustainable, resilient and equitable civil infrastructure through education, training and third-party project verification.
Quebec’s Department of Transportation awarded preliminary design work of the new bridge to a joint venture led by Stantec and architectural engineering consultancy EXP in late 2020. Slated for completion by the end of 2027, the new bridge will feature two wider lanes of traffic, shoulders and multi-use lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. The project includes redevelopment of the northern interchange and the addition of new green spaces.
Stéphanie Vaillancourt, president of the Canadian division of AtkinsRéalis, noted that the design work will need input from 100 of the company’s professionals across Canada. She said the company has contributed to several important projects in Quebec, including the Quebec City amphitheatre, the Jean Lesage International Airport and the new hospital complex at the Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus.
