Editing Jacques Cartier Bridge (section)

===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.]]