Editing Jacques Cartier Bridge (section)

==History==
[[File:Feature. Contrast. River BAnQ P48S1P16495.jpg|thumb|left|Bridge in 1948]]

===Planning===
Discussions began as early as 1874<ref name="mtlroads">{{cite web |url=http://www.montrealroads.com/crossings/jacques-cartier/ |title=Jacques Cartier Bridge (QC 134) |access-date=7 October 2020 |website=Eastern Roads}}</ref> about the construction of a new bridge to alleviate the congestion on [[Victoria Bridge, Montreal|Victoria Bridge]], which was then a rail-only bridge, the wintertime ice bridge and the ferries used to connect the city to its south shore. The decision to build the bridge was made official in 1924.<ref name="mtlroads"/> The bridge was designed by engineer [[Philip Louis Pratley]].

===Construction===
[[File:PA-117723.jpg|thumbnail|The inauguration of the Bridge on May 24, 1930.]]
Construction was undertaken by the [[Dominion Bridge Company]] starting in 1925. On August 9, 1926, the cornerstone was laid, integrated into the pillar at the corner of [[Notre Dame Street]] and [[Saint Antoine Street]], opposite the [[Pied-du-Courant Prison]]. The cornerstone contains a capsule with 59 items reflecting the year in which construction began. The bridge was constructed of [[steel]] at a cost of [[Canadian Dollar|C$]]23 million, and the work lasted two and a half years.

The [[groundbreaking]] was held on May 26, 1925. Construction began immediately and the cornerstone was laid on August 9, 1926, on Pillar No. 26. The superstructure was built between September 1926 and September 1929. 33,267 tons of steel were needed for its construction.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://jacquescartierchamplain.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_Fiche_Pont_JC_EN_WEB_2020-08.pdf| title=Jacques Cartier Bridge| website=Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI)| access-date=2020-08-30| archive-date=2020-09-21| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921115328/https://jacquescartierchamplain.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_Fiche_Pont_JC_EN_WEB_2020-08.pdf| url-status=dead}}</ref> The work was completed about a year and a half ahead of schedule, without disrupting river traffic.

It opened to traffic on May 14, 1930, however the inauguration ceremony took place a few days later, on May 24. The bridge was inaugurated as the "Harbour Bridge" but was renamed "Jacques Cartier Bridge" in 1934, following a petition from citizens to honour the French-Breton explorer who described and mapped the St. Lawrence River valley in 1534.

===Modifications===
[[File:Pont Montreal 1930.jpg|thumbnail|The Bridge seen in 1930.]]
The bridge was originally designed as a [[Highway|road]], [[tram]]way, and pedestrian bridge. The original bridge had three lanes of road traffic and two sidewalks. Space in each direction was left free for the possible installation of two tramway lines. [[Tramway track]]s were installed but never used. A parallel empty space used to exist to the right of the roadway in each direction, through which the bridge's girders could be seen.

The roadway was expanded by an additional traffic lane on the east side in 1956 and the west side in 1959<ref name="mtlroads"/> to include the space allocated to the tramway tracks, adding an extra lane of traffic in each direction and bringing the total capacity of the bridge to five lanes. The two sidewalks were outside the bridge proper.

To accommodate large ships using the new [[St. Lawrence Seaway]], the span over the east channel of the river (the [[Truss bridge|Warren truss]]) was raised an additional {{convert|80|ft|m|1}} (to {{convert|120|ft|m|1|disp=or}}) in 1957 and 1958. Traffic flow over the bridge was uninterrupted by this construction, through the installation of two [[Bailey bridge]]s.<ref name="mtlroads"/>

Originally, the bridge was constructed with only one ramp to [[Saint Helen's Island]], located on the western side of the bridge. In 1961, a second ramp was built on the east side to prevent cars traveling toward Montreal from having to cross the path of those heading toward Longueuil in order to access St. Helen's Island, a major source of accidents.

During 2001 and 2002 the entire deck of the bridge was replaced.<ref name="mtlroads"/> The sidewalks were also widened to a width of {{convert|8|ft|m|2|adj=on}}, and the sidewalk on the western side of the bridge was made a bike path.

In 2004, the bridge authority installed a suicide prevention barrier. Until then the bridge saw an average of 10 suicides a year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/156270/la-barriere-anti-suicide-a-prouve-son-utilite |title=La barrière anti-suicide a prouvé son utilité |access-date=7 October 2020 |newspaper=[[Le Devoir]] |first=Guillaume |last=Bourgault-Côté |date=10 September 2007 |language=fr |trans-title=The suicide barrier has proven its usefulness}}</ref>

There are four {{convert|3|m|ft|adj=on}}{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} high [[finial]]s, at the four high-points of the bridge, as architectural ornaments.<ref name="mtlroads"/> Their shape resembles the [[Eiffel Tower]] without being a replica.<ref name="mtlroads"/>

[[File:Jacques-Cartier Canada.jpg|thumb|center|800px|The Jacques Cartier Bridge as seen from [[Parc Jean-Drapeau]].]]
[[File:Fullsize - IMG 2794 - 1 of 1.jpg|center|thumb|800x800px|View of the entirety of the Jacques Cartier Bridge from its southern end, looking Northwest towards [[Montreal]]. The section of the bridge spanning the [[St. Lawrence Seaway|St-Lawrence Seaway]], distinguishable by its [[Warren truss]] superstructure, is clearly visible on the left.]]