FIRST - Bridge to span the St. Lawrence River, Montréal, Qc, Canada
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member LeGrandChrist
N 45° 29.453 W 073° 31.892
18T E 614744 N 5038532
Le Pont Victoria a été le premier à enjamber le fleuve Saint-Laurent, en faisant un pont d'une grande importance historique. Victoria Bridge was the first to span the St. Lawrence River, and as such is an important historic bridge in Canada.
Waymark Code: WMNTA2
Location: Québec, Canada
Date Posted: 04/29/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Zork V
Views: 18

FRANÇAIS
Avant la construction du pont Victoria, il était difficile et parfois impossible de traverser le fleuve Saint-Laurent au cours de la longue saison d'hiver, puisque les gels et dégels à l'automne et au printemps créaient des conditions dangereuses. La traversée était possible par bateau durant l'été, et en marchant ou en montant un traîneau ou chariot sur la rivière gelée en hiver, le long des routes déneigées pour faciliter le passage.

Le site pour le pont a été choisi par l'éminent ingénieur Canadien Thomas Keefer. Érigé entre 1854 et 1859, le pont Victoria a été inauguré officiellement par Albert Edward, le prince de Galles, le 25 août 1860. Le premier train de marchandises avait toutefois déjà passé sur le pont le 12 décembre 1859, et le premier train de passagers avait traversé la pont cinq jours plus tard, le 17 décembre. La Reine Victoria avait été invitée à assister à l'ouverture du pont, mais elle a décliné l'invitation et elle a plutôt envoyé son fils aîné, le prince de Galles et héritier de son trône.

Une fois terminé, il était le plus long pont du monde. Au cours de ses années de pointe de la construction de six bateaux à vapeur, 72 barges, 3040 hommes (dont il y avait plusieurs enfants entre les âges de 8 et 12), 144 chevaux, et quatre locomotives ont été nécessaires pour ériger à un coût de $ 6,600,000. La construction du pont a été directement liée à celle de la Grand Trunk Railway, un système dont le siège est en Grande-Bretagne qui avait été formé en 1852 avec le soutien du gouvernement colonial de la Province unie du Canada pour relier les Grands Lacs avec un port libre de glace sur l'Océan Atlantique (à Portland, Maine).

L'ingénieur en chef était James Hodges. Le pont original était un long tube métallique structurel (un pont tubulaire) en sections préfabriquées en Angleterre et conçus par Robert Stephenson, fils du constructeur de la célèbre locomotive Rocket, et Alexander Ross McKenzie. Les entrepreneurs étaient le partenariat anglais de Peto, Brassey et Betts. En 1897-1898, le tube de métal datant de 1860 a été remplacée par des armatures métalliques, communes à l'époque. Pour minimiser les perturbations de la circulation, les fermes ont été assemblés autour du tube, ce qui a permis au tube de continuer le service à la circulation des trains. Le tube a ensuite été démoli. Les piliers en pierre de 1860, légèrement modifié en 1897, témoignent encore de l'excellente ingénierie originale.

Entre le 30 Octobre 1909 et 13 Octobre 1956, le Montréal & Southern Counties ont opéré des tramways interurbains sur la voie Nord du pont. La ligne reliait Granby et Montréal, et plus tard il desservait Longueuil.

La Diversion St. Lambert autour de l'écluse de Saint-Lambert a été ajouté en 1958 dans le cadre du projet de la Voie maritime du Saint-Laurent. Ce pont secondaire sur le canal, au sud du pont principal, porte également la route et le rail, et est utilisée quand un navire passe sous l'alignement d'origine.

ENGLISH
Prior to the construction of the Victoria Bridge, it was difficult and at times impossible to cross the St. Lawrence River during the long winter season, as freeze up and thawing in the fall and spring made for treacherous conditions. Crossings took place by boat during the summer, and by walking or riding a sleigh or cart over the frozen river in winter, along routes cleared of snow to facilitate passage.

A site for the bridge was selected by the eminent Canadian engineer Thomas Keefer. Erected between 1854 and 1859, Victoria Bridge was officially inaugurated by Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales on August 25, 1860. The first freight train however had already passed over the bridge on December 12, 1859, and the first passenger train had crossed the bridge five days later on December 17. Queen Victoria had been invited to attend the opening of the bridge, but she declined the invitation and instead sent her eldest son, the Prince of Wales and heir to her throne.

When completed, it was the longest bridge in the world. During its peak construction years six steamboats, 72 barges, 3,040 men (of which there were several children between the ages of 8 and 12), 144 horses, and four locomotive engines were required to erect it at a cost of $6,600,000. The construction of the bridge was tied directly with that of the Grand Trunk Railway, a system headquartered in Britain which had been formed in 1852 with the support of the colonial government of the United Province of Canada to connect the Great Lakes with an ice-free port on the Atlantic Ocean (at Portland, Maine).

The chief engineer was James Hodges. The original deck was a long structural metal tube (a tubular bridge) made of prefabricated sections made in England and designed by Robert Stephenson, son of the builder of the famed Rocket locomotive, and Alexander McKenzie Ross. The contractors were the English partnership of Peto, Brassey and Betts. In 1897–1898, the metal tube from 1860 was replaced by metal trusses, common at the time. To minimize traffic disruptions, the trusses were assembled around the tube, which permitted the tube to continue service to train traffic. The tube was then demolished. The stone piers from 1860, slightly altered in 1897, still testify to the excellent original engineering.

Between October 30, 1909 and October 13, 1956, the Montreal and Southern Counties Railway ran interurban streetcars on the Northern shoulder of the bridge. The line connected Granby and Montreal, with a later branch serving Longueuil.

The St. Lambert Diversion around the St. Lambert Locks was added in 1958 as part of the St. Lawrence Seaway project. This secondary bridge over the canal, south of the main bridge, also carries both road and rail, and is used when a ship is passing under the original alignment.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Place or Location

Date of FIRST: 12/12/1859

More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]

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