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Dive under the foundations of the new Champlain Bridge and inspect the bedrock

Nearly all of the marine foundations for the new bridge are now in place. One year ago, we proudly installed the very first foundation on the riverbed. Back when we achieved that major milestone, we explained our operations, the role of the floating foundation installer, and all of the stages that culminate in placing a foundation in its final position.

Join us now as we explore another facet of this project by taking you underwater for an unprecedented view of the Saint Lawrence River.

While installing foundations on the riverbed with our floating foundation installer Poseidon is an impressive and visible part of the operations, the underwater inspection of the bedrock is every bit as fascinating. Divers go down to inspect and clean the riverbed, in a tight space under the foundation, to ensure optimal concrete work, once the area is cleaned out. These operations are conducted in a safe environment, where nothing is left to chance. Once cleaned and inspected, the bedrock is ready for the final concreting, thus completing the installation operations for a foundation, whose estimated life expectancy is 125 years. So far, 36 out of 38 have been placed in the river.

Watch the unique underwater images of the Saint Lawrence with explanations from Stéphane Héroux, Project Manager at Signature on the Saint Lawrence, and Yan Milot, Director of Operations at MVC Ocean.