Essar Steel Algoma Inc. announced Friday that it has contracted with Canam-Bridges, a division of Canam Group Inc., to supply structural steel bridge plates for use in the construction of the new Champlain Bridge, satisfying approximately 20 percent of the project’s total steel requirement.
Spanning 3.4 km across the St. Lawrence between Montreal and the South Shore, the new bridge has been proclaimed one of the largest infrastructure projects in North America. The new bridge is expected to feature a three-corridor design, including two three-lane corridors for vehicular traffic and a two-lane public transport corridor capable of accommodating a light rail transit system. It will also include a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists.
Essar Steel Algoma is Canada’s leading manufacturer of as-rolled and heat treated plate, supplying on average 100,000 tons of plate into North American infrastructure projects each year. President and CEO Kalyan Ghosh remarked on Essar’s participation in the Project, “Algoma has a rich 115 year steelmaking tradition here in Canada, making steel for bridges, ships, wind towers and more. We are very proud to be a chosen supplier to one of Canada’s most critical infrastructure investments. The new Champlain Bridge has a 125 year design life and our steel is made to withstand the test of time.”
A proponent of continual grade development, Essar Steel Algoma is actively engaged in a research project with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, CANMET and the University of Western Ontario on bridge steel chemistry design.