SNC-Lavalin wins Canadian bridge refurbishment contract

SNC-Lavalin has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract by the New Brunswick Ministry of Transportation, Canada for the rehabilitation of the Princess Margaret Bridge in Fredericton.

The work will be carried out by SNC-Lavalin Construction (Atlantic).

The 1098 m-long bridge was built in 1957 and due to its age and condition, its weight limit had to be reduced from 62.5 tonnes to 43.5 tonnes in November 2009.

The work includes removal and replacement of the bridge deck and floor beams, replacement of the bridge guardrail, concrete removal, capping of the bridge piers and abutments, painting, and upgrading and refurbishment of the structural steel work.

Work, which will be carried out in two phases, will begin immediately with an expected completion date of December 2011.

"With the exception of two, two-month periods of full closure in the summers of 2010 and 2011, the bridge must remain open to traffic during core weekday business hours with minimal inconvenience to the public," said Walid Asha, vice-president, construction and development, SNC-Lavalin Construction.

"We faced similar challenges on the Jacques Cartier Bridge refurbishment project in Montreal in 2001 and 2002, and we look forward to applying that same, award-winning expertise and experience in New Brunswick."