List of bridges to the Island of Montreal facts for kids

Bridges are required to connect Montreal to the mainland (gray).

Like most major cities, Montreal needs easy highway access from its suburbs and surrounding areas. However, because Montreal was built on an island surrounded by three rivers, it can be entered by land only on a bridge or through a tunnel. Although the city was founded in 1642, it was not until 1847 that the first fixed link to the outside was established when a wooden bridge was built across Rivière des Prairies to Île Jésus, on the site of what is now Ahuntsic Bridge. Another bridge was built immediately afterward, a few kilometers west, which became Lachapelle Bridge, and another in 1849, Pont des Saints-Anges, to the east. The latter bridge collapsed in the 1880s and was never rebuilt.

With the advent of the railroad, Montreal got a fixed link to the mainland; in 1854 railroad bridges were built in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, across both channels of the Ottawa River, linking Montreal Island to Ontario and the Vaudreuil-Soulanges peninsula through Perrot Island. In 1860, Montreal got its first link to the South Shore with the construction of Victoria Bridge, which was, at the time of its opening, the longest bridge in the world. Indirect links to the North Shore also had to wait for railroad construction, but this took longer; the Canadian Pacific Railway opened its link to Saint-Jérôme in 1876, through Île Jésus.

Crossings

This list of bridges and other fixed links serving the Island of Montreal proceeds counter-clockwise around the island from southwest, at the exit of Lake Saint-Louis, downstream along the St. Lawrence River, then upstream along Rivière des Prairies all the way to Lake of Two Mountains, then downstream again along the East Channel of the Ottawa River until it reaches Lake Saint-Louis. The year of construction is that of the structure currently in place, accompanied by the year of construction of the original structure if the current one replaced an older span.

Spanning the Saint Lawrence River and Saint Lawrence Seaway

The crossing of the Saint Lawrence River has always proved problematic for engineers due to width, depth, currents, and ice cover. The construction of Victoria Bridge for the Grand Trunk Railway, which, at 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), was the longest bridge in the world when it first opened in 1860, highlighted the problems presented by this natural obstacle. Not to be outdone by its rival, however, the Canadian Pacific Railway built its own span, the Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge, upstream from the Lachine Rapids in 1886 for which the Mohawks of Kahnawake were hired to erect the steel superstructure. Although Victoria Bridge was also used as a road crossing since 1898, it was not before the 1930s that two fully dedicated road bridges, Jacques-Cartier and Mercier, were built. More spans, including Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel and Champlain Bridge, were built in the 1960s. No new span was built for over 50 years, until a replacement Champlain Bridge was constructed at the cost of several billion dollars. It opened in 2019, while the previous span was closed to traffic to be demolished.

The construction of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s required extensive modifications for all spans that existed at the time. Those are not reflected in the table below.

Span	Picture	First span built	Current span built	Communities linked	Carries	Name origin	Coordinates
Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge		1886	1910	(M) Borough of LaSalle	Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) exo Candiac commuter train	Saint Lawrence River	45°25′8″N 73°39′34″W / 45.41889°N 73.65944°W / 45.41889; -73.65944 (Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge)
				(O) Kahnawake Mohawk Reserve
Honoré Mercier Bridge		—	1934, 1963	(M) Borough of LaSalle	Route 138	Honoré Mercier (1840–1894), Premier of Quebec	45°25′0″N 73°39′18″W / 45.41667°N 73.65500°W / 45.41667; -73.65500 (Honoré Mercier Bridge)
				(O) Kahnawake Mohawk Reserve
Champlain Bridge Ice Structure		—	1964	(M) Borough of Verdun	Route Verte 1 and 2	Samuel de Champlain (c. 1580–1635), founder of Quebec City	45°27′57″N 73°31′11″W / 45.46583°N 73.51972°W / 45.46583; -73.51972 (Champlain Bridge Ice Structure)
				(O) St. Lawrence Seaway levee
Samuel De Champlain Bridge		1962	2019	(M) Borough of Verdun	Autoroutes 10, 15, and 20		45°28′7″N 73°31′15″W / 45.46861°N 73.52083°W / 45.46861; -73.52083 (Champlain Bridge)
				(I) Île des Sœurs (exit)
				(O) Brossard
Victoria Bridge		1860	1898	(M) Borough of Le Sud-Ouest	Route 112 Canadian National Railway (CN) exo Mont-Saint-Hilaire commuter train Via Rail and Amtrak passenger trains	Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (1819–1901)	45°29′29″N 73°31′46″W / 45.49139°N 73.52944°W / 45.49139; -73.52944 (Victoria Bridge)
				(O) Saint-Lambert
Pont de la Concorde and Pont des Îles		—	1965	(M) Borough of Ville-Marie	Pierre-Dupuy Avenue and Route Verte 1 and 2	Reference to Montreal's motto, Concordia salus	45°30′22″N 73°32′17″W / 45.50611°N 73.53806°W / 45.50611; -73.53806 (Pont de la Concorde) 45°30′28″N 73°31′49″W / 45.50778°N 73.53028°W / 45.50778; -73.53028 (Saint-Lambert) (Pont des Îles)
				(O) Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame (Parc Jean-Drapeau), borough of Ville-Marie, Montreal
Montreal Metro Tunnel		—	1966	(M) Borough of Ville-Marie (Berri-UQAM station)	Line 4 Yellow	—	45°30′N 73°32′W / 45.500°N 73.533°W / 45.500; -73.533 (Metro tunnel (line 4))
				(I) Île Sainte-Hélène (Jean-Drapeau station) and Île Notre-Dame
				(O) Longueuil, borough of Vieux-Longueuil (Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station)
Jacques Cartier Bridge		—	1930	(M) Borough of Ville-Marie	Route 134 Pedestrians and bicycles	Jacques Cartier (1491–1557), French explorer	45°31′17″N 73°32′28″W / 45.52139°N 73.54111°W / 45.52139; -73.54111 (Jacques Cartier Bridge)
				(I) Île Sainte-Hélène (exit) and Île Notre-Dame
				(O) Longueuil, borough of Vieux-Longueuil
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel		—	1967	(M) Borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve	Autoroute 25/Trans-Canada Highway	Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807–1864), Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada	45°35′0″N 73°29′51″W / 45.58333°N 73.49750°W / 45.58333; -73.49750 (Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel)
				(I) Île Charron (Îles de Boucherville) (exit)
				(O) Longueuil, borough of Vieux-Longueuil

Spanning the Rivière des Prairies

Although the Rivière des Prairies is much smaller than the Saint Lawrence, bridge construction there did not begin until the 1840s—when rapid construction began on three wooden toll bridges to what is now Laval, one of which, Pont des Saints-Anges, collapsed in the 1880s and was never rebuilt. The existence of regular ferry services across the river is attested from 1813, but these ferries were discontinued when the bridges opened. The first railroad across the river was opened in 1876, and the Bordeaux Railway Bridge is the oldest fixed link to Laval that is still standing. (Another bridge across Rivière des Mille Îles, which was part of the same line, collapsed in 1882 but was immediately rebuilt.) The highway construction boom of the 1960s and 1970s led to the construction of four new freeway bridges across the river, and the upgrading of the existing Pie IX Bridge to freeway standards.

Span	Picture	First span built	Current span built	Communities linked	Carries	Name origin	Coordinates
Le Gardeur Bridge		—	1939 (widened 1975)	(M) Borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles	Route 138 and Route Verte 5	Pierre Le Gardeur de Repentigny (1605–1648), French lord	45°42′13″N 73°29′1″W / 45.70361°N 73.48361°W / 45.70361; -73.48361 (Pierre Le Gardeur Bridge)
				(I) Île Bourdon
				(O) Repentigny
Laurier Railway Bridge		—	1904	(M) Borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles	CN Via Rail exo Mascouche commuter train	Wilfrid Laurier (1841–1919), Prime Minister of Canada	45°42′10″N 73°29′8″W / 45.70278°N 73.48556°W / 45.70278; -73.48556 (Laurier Railway Bridge)
				(I) Île Bourdon
				(O) Charlemagne
Charles de Gaulle Bridge		—	1965	(M) Borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles	Autoroute 40	Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), President of France	45°42′7″N 73°30′32″W / 45.70194°N 73.50889°W / 45.70194; -73.50889 (Charles de Gaulle Bridge)
				(O) Charlemagne
Olivier-Charbonneau Bridge		—	2011	(M) Borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles	Autoroute 25	Olivier Charbonneau (c.1613-1687), first European settler of Île Jésus.	45°38′16″N 73°37′14″W / 45.63778°N 73.62056°W / 45.63778; -73.62056 (Highway 25 bridge)
				(O) Laval (Saint-François)
Pie IX Bridge		1937	1967	(M) Borough of Montreal North	Route 125	Pope Pius IX (1792–1878)	45°35′57″N 73°38′49″W / 45.59917°N 73.64694°W / 45.59917; -73.64694 (Pie IX Bridge)
				(O) Laval (Saint-Vincent-de-Paul)
Centrale de la Rivière des Prairies		—	1930	(M) Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Hydro-Québec	Rivière des Prairies	45°35′17″N 73°39′21″W / 45.58806°N 73.65583°W / 45.58806; -73.65583 (Centrale de la Rivière des Prairies)
				(I) Île de la Visitation and Île du Cheval de Terre
				(O) Laval (Duvernay)
Papineau-Leblanc Bridge		—	1969	(M) Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Autoroute 19	Louis-Joseph Papineau (1786–1871), leader of the Patriote movement Alpha Leblanc (1908–1962), local landowner	45°34′34″N 73°40′1″W / 45.57611°N 73.66694°W / 45.57611; -73.66694 (Papineau-Leblanc Bridge)
				(I) Île de la Visitation
				(O) Laval (Duvernay)
Viau Bridge (Ahuntsic Bridge)		1847	1962 (widened 1993)	(M) Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Route 335	Ahuntsic, Huron boy who drowned in 1625 The origin of the name Viau is uncertain.	45°33′26″N 73°40′32″W / 45.55722°N 73.67556°W / 45.55722; -73.67556 (Ahuntsic Bridge)
				(O) Laval (Pont-Viau)
Montreal Metro Tunnel		—	2007	(M) Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville (Henri-Bourassa station)	Line 2 Orange	—	45°33′N 73°40′W / 45.550°N 73.667°W / 45.550; -73.667 (Metro tunnel (line 2))
				(O) Laval (Cartier station)
Bordeaux Railway Bridge		—	1876	(M) Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville	CPR exo Saint-Jérôme commuter train Quebec Gatineau Railway Route Verte 1 and 2	Bordeaux, former town	45°32′53″N 73°41′58″W / 45.54806°N 73.69944°W / 45.54806; -73.69944 (Bordeaux Railway Bridge)
				(I) Île Perry
				(O) Laval (Laval-des-Rapides)
Médéric Martin Bridge		—	1958 (widened 1991)	(M) Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Autoroute 15/Trans-Canada Highway	Médéric Martin (1869–1946), Mayor of Montreal	45°32′25″N 73°42′45″W / 45.54028°N 73.71250°W / 45.54028; -73.71250 (Médéric Martin Bridge)
				(O) Laval (Laval-des-Rapides)
Lachapelle Bridge (Cartierville Bridge)		1848	1930, 1975	(M) Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Route 117	Pascal Persillier-Lachapelle, builder of the first bridge	45°31′59″N 73°43′43″W / 45.53306°N 73.72861°W / 45.53306; -73.72861 (Lachapelle Bridge)
				(O) Laval (Chomedey)
Louis Bisson Bridge		—	1975	(M) Borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro	Autoroute 13	Louis Bisson (1909–1997), Canadian aviator	45°30′42″N 73°45′54″W / 45.51167°N 73.76500°W / 45.51167; -73.76500 (Louis Bisson Bridge)
				(O) Laval (Chomedey / Sainte-Dorothée)
Île Bigras railway crossing		—	1916	(M) Borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro	CN Formerly used by the Deux-Montagnes commuter train (currently being replaced by the Réseau express métropolitain)	(no official name)	45°30′59″N 73°50′52″W / 45.51639°N 73.84778°W / 45.51639; -73.84778 (Railway bridges)
				(I) (Île Bigras) Île-Bigras commuter train station
				(O) Laval (Sainte-Dorothée)
Jacques Bizard Bridge		1893	1966	(M) Sainte-Geneviève, Montreal, borough of L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève	Boulevard Jacques Bizard	Jacques Bizard (1642–1692), local seigneur	45°29′15″N 73°52′5″W / 45.48750°N 73.86806°W / 45.48750; -73.86806 (Jacques Bizard Bridge)
				(O) Île Bizard (Montreal, borough of L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève)

Spanning the Lake of Two Mountains and the Ottawa River East Channel

The first railway bridge to Montreal Island was the Grand Trunk Railway bridge across the Ottawa River East Channel. Along with another bridge built simultaneously across the West Channel, this bridge provided the first fixed link from Montreal to the mainland. It was not until 1925, however, that a fixed road link, formed by Galipeault Bridge and Taschereau Bridge, was built across the Ottawa River from Montreal Island. Île Perrot was the only way out of Montreal to the West before the construction of Île aux Tourtes Bridge, which goes directly to Vaudreuil across the Lake of Two Mountains.

All three spans across the Ottawa River East Channel are twinned by another span, built simultaneously, across the West Channel.

Span	Picture	First span built	Current span built	Communities linked	Carries	Name origin	Coordinates
Île aux Tourtes Bridge		—	1966	(M) Senneville	Autoroute 40/Trans-Canada Highway	Île aux Tourtes (literally, Wild Pigeon island)	45°25′13″N 73°59′7″W / 45.42028°N 73.98528°W / 45.42028; -73.98528 (Île aux Tourtes Bridge) (Across Lake of Two Mountains)
				(I) Île Girwood, Île aux Tourtes
				(O) Vaudreuil-Dorion
Canadian Pacific Rail Bridge		—	1893	(M) Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue	CPR exo Vaudreuil-Hudson commuter train	(no official names)	45°24′12″N 73°57′24″W / 45.40333°N 73.95667°W / 45.40333; -73.95667 (Canadian Pacific Rail Bridge) (Across Canal Sainte-Anne)
				(I) Île Bellevue
				(O) Île Perrot
Canadian National Rail Bridge		—	1854	(M) Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue	CN Via Rail Canada passenger trains to Ottawa/Toronto		45°24′12″N 73°57′24″W / 45.40333°N 73.95667°W / 45.40333; -73.95667 (Canadian National Rail Bridge) (Across Canal Sainte-Anne)
				(I) Île Bellevue
				(O) Île Perrot
Galipeault Bridge		1925	1991, 2009	(M) Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue	Autoroute 20 and Route Verte 5	Antonin Galipeault (1879–1971), Quebec politician	45°24′10″N 73°57′21″W / 45.40278°N 73.95583°W / 45.40278; -73.95583 (Galipeault Bridge) (Across Canal Sainte-Anne)
				(I) Île Bellevue
				(O) Île Perrot

See also