Quebec Bridge
Quebec Bridge Pont de Québec | |
---|---|
standard gauge | |
Structure gauge | AAR |
Electrified | No |
History | |
Construction cost | $22 million (Approx. 375M$ in 2024) |
Opened | December 3, 1919 |
Statistics | |
Toll | none since 1942 |
Designated | 1995 |
Location | |
The Quebec Bridge (
The Quebec Bridge is a riveted steel truss structure and is 987 m (3,238 ft) long, 29 m (95 ft) wide, and 104 m (341 ft) high. Cantilever arms 177 m (581 ft) long support a 195 m (640 ft) central structure, for a total span of 549 m (1,801 ft), still the longest cantilever bridge span in the world. (It was the all-categories longest span in the world until the Ambassador Bridge was completed in 1929.) It is the easternmost (farthest downstream) complete crossing of the Saint Lawrence River.
The bridge accommodates three highway lanes (there were none until 1929, when one was added; another was added in 1949 and a third in 1993), one rail line (two until 1949), and a pedestrian walkway (originally two). At one time, it also carried a streetcar line. Since 1993, it has been owned by the Canadian National Railway.
The Quebec Bridge was designated a National Historic Site in 1995.[2]
Background
Before the Quebec Bridge was built, the only way to travel from the south shore of the St. Lawrence in
A March 1897 article in the Quebec Morning Chronicle noted:
The bridge question has again been revived after many years of slumber, and business men in Quebec seem hopeful that something will come of it, though the placing of a subsidy on the statute book is but a small part of the work to be accomplished, as some of its enthusiastic promoters will, ere long, discover. Both Federal and Provincial Governments seem disposed to contribute towards the cost, and the City of Quebec will also be expected to do its share. Many of our people have objected to any contribution being given by the city unless the bridge is built opposite the town, and the CHRONICLE like every other good citizen of Quebec would prefer to see it constructed at Diamond Harbor, and has contended in the interests of the city for this site as long as there seemed to be any possibility of securing it there. It would still do so if it appeared that our people could have it at that site. A bridge at Diamond Harbor would, it estimated, cost at least eight millions. It would be very nice to have, with its double track, electric car track, and roads for vehicles and pedestrians, and would no doubt create a goodly traffic between the two towns, and be one of the show works of the continent.
First design and collapse of August 29, 1907
The Quebec Bridge was included in the National Transcontinental Railway project, undertaken by the federal government. The Quebec Bridge Company was first incorporated by Act of Parliament under the government of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1887,[3] later revived in 1891,[4] and revived for good in 1897 by the government of Wilfrid Laurier,[5] who granted them an extension of time in 1900.[6]
In 1903, the bond issue was increased to $6,000,000 and power to grant preference shares was authorised, along with a name change to the Quebec Bridge and Railway Company (QBRC).
Edward A. Hoare was selected as Chief Engineer for the Company throughout this time,[9] while Collingwood Schreiber was the Chief Engineer of the Department of Railways and Canals in Ottawa.[10] Hoare had never worked on a cantilever bridge structure longer than 300 feet (91 m).[9][11] Schreiber was assisted until July 9, 1903 by Department bridge engineer R.C. Douglas, at which time Douglas was deposed for his opposition to the calculations that were submitted by the contractors.[12] Schreiber subsequently requested the support of another qualified bridge engineer, but was effectively overruled by the Cabinet on August 15, 1903. Thereafter, QBRC consulting engineer Theodore Cooper was completely in charge of the works.[13] On July 1, 1905, Schreiber was demoted and replaced as deputy minister and chief engineer by Matthew J Butler.[10][14]
By 1904, the southern half of the structure was taking shape. However, preliminary calculations made early in the planning stages were never properly checked when the design was completed. The bridge’s own weight was far in excess of its carrying capacity. The
McLure became increasingly concerned and wrote repeatedly to QBRC consulting engineer
But, Cooper's message was not passed on to Quebec before it was too late. Near quitting time on the afternoon of August 29, after four years of construction, the south arm and part of the central section of the bridge collapsed into the St. Lawrence River in 15 seconds. Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day, 75 were killed and the rest were injured,
On August 30, 1907, a
The Commissioners presented their Report in full on February 20, 1908, issued 15 conclusions, and included the hindsight work of consulting bridge engineer C.C. Schneider, of Philadelphia (a fulfillment of the 1903 request of Schreiber, supra).[18]
The Commissioners attributed responsibility for the failure to two men, consulting engineer Theodore Cooper and Peter L. Szlapka, Chief Designing Engineer for Phoenix Bridge Company:
(c) The design of the chords that failed was made by Mr. P.L. Szlapka, the designing engineer of the Phoenix Bridge Company
(d) This design was examined and officially approved by Mr. Theodore Cooper, consulting engineer of the Quebec Bridge and Railway Company.
(e) The failure cannot be attributed directly to any cause other than errors in judgment on the part of these two engineers.
Cooper escaped penal sanction.[19] It is presumed that Szlapka escaped as well. The Commissioners also found that:
(k) The failure on the part of the Quebec Bridge and Railway Company to appoint an experienced bridge engineer to the position of chief engineer was a mistake. This resulted in a loose and inefficient supervision of all parts of the work on the part of the Quebec Bridge and Railway Company.
The abortive construction of the Quebec Bridge spanned the careers of two
Second design and collapse of September 11, 1916
On September 11, 1916, when the central span was being raised into position, it fell into the river, killing 13 workers.
Re-construction began almost immediately after the accident, and the government granted special permission for the bridge builders to acquire the needed steel. It was in high demand because of the War effort. The fallen central span still lies at the bottom of the river. After the bridge was completed in 1917, special passes were required for those wanting to cross the bridge. Armed soldiers, and later Dominion Police, guarded the structure and checked passes until the end of the War.
Completion
Construction was ultimately completed in September 1917 at a total cost of $23 million and the lives of 88 bridgeworkers. On the 17 October, the first train crossed the bridge from Quebec to Lévis and on December 3, 1917, the Quebec Bridge officially opened for rail traffic, after almost two decades of construction. Its centre span of 549 m (1800 ft) remains the longest cantilevered bridge span in the world and is considered a major engineering feat. The Quebec Bridge was declared an
Post-completion history
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
The bridge was built and designed primarily as a railway bridge, but the streetcar lines (used by
On January 24, 1996, the bridge was declared a National Historic Site.
The bridge has been featured on two commemorative postage stamps, one issued by the Post Office Department in 1929,[24] and another by Canada Post in 1995.[25]
The bridge was built as part of the National Transcontinental Railway, which was merged into the
Despite its private ownership, CN receives federal and provincial funding to undertake repairs and maintenance on the structure. Its railway designation is mile 0.2 subdivision Bridge.
Aftermath of the collapse
The disaster showed the power an
On August 29, 2006, a year-long commemoration was begun in the
Corrosion and maintenance
In 2015, the Quebec Bridge was included in a list of the 10 most endangered historic sites in Canada by the National Trust of Canada because of long-overdue paint and repair work.
It is estimated that 60% of the bridge is covered in corrosive rust. Since its transfer to CN Rail by the federal government in 1993, maintenance and restoration programs for this historic infrastructure have been cut back. In November 2014, the City of Quebec, City of Lévis, Province of Quebec, and Government of Canada joined in pledging half the estimated $200 million cost of repainting and restoring the Quebec Bridge. To date, CN Rail has not agreed to match this amount. CN Rail has deemed the proposed sanding and restorative paint work to be "aesthetic" and therefore unnecessary, a categorization supported by a ruling of the Superior Court of Quebec.
The corrosion, accelerated by exposure to extremes of weather, will ultimately result in the loss of the bridge's mechanical properties—and potentially, its structural integrity as well.[29]
In May 2016,
See also
- List of crossings of the Saint Lawrence River
- List of bridges in Canada
- High Steel, a 1966 documentary on Mohawk high steel workers that also documents the 1907 collapse
References
- ^ "Mémoire de l'Administration portuaire de Québec et des usagers ferroviaires du Port de Québec" (PDF). Port of Quebec (in French). p. 12.
- ^ Québec Bridge National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
- ^ 50–51 Vic c.98
- ^ 54–55 Vic c.107
- ^ 60–61 Vic c.69
- ^ 63–64 Vic c.115
- ^ 3 Edw VII c.177
- ^ 3 Edw VII c.54
- ^ a b Wm. D. Middleton: The Bridge at Quebec, Indiana University Press, 2001
- ^ a b Dictionary of Canadian Biography: "Schreiber, Sir Collingwood"
- ^ "Notes from USask Notes on General Engineering, 'Engineering in Society 449'" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ Royal Commission, p. 41
- ^ Royal Commission, p. 48
- ^ Biographical Dictionary of Canadian Engineers (at UWO): "Butler, Matthew Joseph"
- ^ a b Deachman, Bruce (5 August 2016). "The five worst bridge collapses in Canadian history". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ Cecil Adams, "The Straight Dope: Why do so many Native Americans work on skyscrapers?", Chicago Reader, December 18, 1992.
- ^ Millard, Rod (6 July 2011). "Holgate, Henry". Biographical Dictionary of Canadian Engineers. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ Royal Commission Quebec Bridge Inquiry Report (Report). Ottawa: SE Dawson, by order of Parliament. 1908.
- ^ "Theodore Cooper Dies at 81" New York Times obituary.
- ^ Information Relevant to the Iron Ring Ceremony Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, November 22, 2001; Retrieved April 4, 2010
- ^ Frants Lichtenberg's letter to his son Steen Lichtenberg in 1954, describing the construction of the Quebec Bridge.
- ISBN 0-253-33761-5. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ Whalen, James M. (1 November 2000). "A Bridge With Two Tragedies". Legion: Canada's Military History Magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Quebec Cantilever Bridge, Postage Stamp Guide
- ^ Quebec Bridge, Quebec, QC, Postage Stage Guide
- ISBN 0-7918-0230-2.
- ^ "Kahnawake Mohawks mark 1907 Quebec bridge disaster", August 31, 2006
- ^ "Mohawks join memorial for 75 who died in 1907 Quebec Bridge collapse", August 29, 2007
- ISSN 0885-7024.
- ISBN 0-87095-097-5. Archived from the originalon 2 June 2012.
- Page, Walter Hines; Page, Arthur Wilson (April 1916). "Photos of Quebec Bridge". The World's Work: A History of Our Time. XXXI: 662–663. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
External links
Media related to Quebec Bridge at Wikimedia Commons
- (in French)Pont de Québec timeline
- The Collapse of the Quebec City Bridge
- Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer
- The Iron Ring (archive)
- Photo Centre Span Collapse
- Article on "Bridge Collapse Cases/Quebec Bridge" at MatDL
- Quebec Bridge (1907) at Structurae
- Quebec Bridge (1917) at Structurae
- 3D model Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine