Bridge

The Bridge

Second home to many daily commuters…the Jacques-Cartier bridge is also traveled by Montreal’s island dwellers on their way out of town for a long weekend.

The Jacques Cartier Bridge is a five-lane bridge 11,236 feet or 2 1/6 miles (3.4 km) in length, spanning the St. Lawrence River between the cities of Montreal and Longueuil. Access and exit ramps connect it to St. Helen’s Island. Approximately 34.7 million vehicles cross the bridge every year. Originally named the Montreal Harbour Bridge (Pont du Havre), it was renamed in 1934 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s first voyage up the St. Lawrence River.

The bridge was first opened to traffic on May 14, 1930. The maximum speed on the bridge at the time was 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). Everyone shared the roadway, with the exception of pedestrians, who had a sidewalk. During the official inauguration on May 24, 1930, the bridge was blesses by Monseigneur Georges Gauthier, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Montreal. In addition the Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, gave his speech by telephone from his office in Ottawa and then pressed a button to unveil by remote control the commemorative plaque on the edge of the platform where the guests of honour were seated.