New Champlain Bridge receives 2nd concrete pouring for footing
Mild winter is helping to keep construction on schedule, consortium says
The construction of the new Champlain Bridge progressed one more notch this morning.
Crews did a second pouring of concrete on the 38 footings that will form the base of the bridge underwater.
The first pouring was done in mid-December.
In the spring, the footings — which measure 11 metres wide, 11 metres long, and 2 metres deep — will be placed at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River.
The consortium of engineering and construction companies working on the bridge said the mild winter has been a big help.
"We're very lucky this year. We've been able to work right through the winter. We're taking full advantage of that," said Daniel Genest, a spokesman for the Signature on the Saint-Laurent Consortium.
"We're well positioned to start major construction work in the April-May time frame."
Genest says the $4-billion project is on track to be ready for December 2018.