As of Monday, Oct. 10, all overweight vehicles are banned from crossing the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc. (JCCBI) noted that overweight trucks have put stress on the bridge beyond the load limits that it was designed to bear.
The ban affects trucks with Canadian Class 5 and Class 6 special travel permits. Class 5 permits allow loads between 145,505 and 174,165 pounds. Class 6 permits apply to any vehicles that exceed the limits of the Class 5 permit.
Experts at JCCBI will review requests for overweight trucks to travel on the Champlain Bridge on a case-by-case basis. Class 7 permits – trucks that are oversized – will continue to be reviewed before being allowed to travel on the bridge.
JCCBI will install signs and plans for other forms of communication to alert transportation companies of the changes.
More than 5.3 million trucks cross the bridge each year. Last summer, dynamic traffic lights were installed to keep truck traffic in the centre lanes.
An average of $100 million a year has been spent to keep the bridge safe since JCCBI began to monitor safety in 2008. The bridge is being maintained as the new Champlain Bridge is being built, which is expected to be completed in December 2018.
