The federal government says it has reached a $1 billion deal with Canadian National Railway (CN) to acquire the historic Quebec Bridge in Quebec City.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Quebec City that Ottawa will spend $1 billion over the next 25 years to repair, repaint and maintain the bridge, extending the span’s life for “decades.”
The Quebec Bridge, called in French the Pont de Québec, stretches 549 metres across the St. Lawrence River, connecting Quebec City with its south shore suburbs. It is the longest cantilever bridge in the world.
While Ottawa will own the bridge, the deal says CN and the Quebec government will retain responsibility and ownership of the rails and roadway on the span, which is crossed by 33,000 vehicles a day.
The bridge opened in 1917 and was designated a national historic site in 1995 because of its length and the fact it was the first major bridge in North America made of nickel and steel.
Its construction was plagued by tragedy, with a 1907 collapse killing 76 workers and a second accident in 1916 leading to the deaths of 13 people.
