Inside ‘the link’
P.E.I. reporter takes an in-depth look at the Confederation Bridge
Michel Le Chasseur unlocks the gate, walks through the entrance, and closes the door.
A few feet away, a small metal door leads inside an embankment.
“Watch your head. When we go in we are going to take a turn and then go up a set of stairs. Above us is concrete, so be careful,” warns Le Chasseur.
He steps inside, takes a turn, and walks up four wooden steps.
“Well, this is it. You’re inside the Confederation Bridge.”
Overhead, the bridge rumbles as vehicles go across. Like a subway, the traffic can be heard from above.
Le Chasseur is the general manager of Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd., the company responsible for building the bridge.
“If you look on the walls, you can see when the pieces of the bridge were made. On the approaching bridge for P.E.I. you can see the first parts of the bridge ever built.”
Recently, the Journal Pioneer was given a tour of bridge facilities including the bridge itself – inside the approach bridge.
The structure is comprised of three sections, two approaching bridges and the main bridge. Pieces for the P.E.I. approach bridge were built in New Brunswick, shipped to the Island on the ferry and then put in place, said Le Chasseur.
“The concrete itself isn’t thick. What keeps the bridge together is 12,000 km of cable.”
The approach bridges on each side are built into the bedrock of both provinces. The sections over water aren’t secured to the sea floor, he said.
The bridge structure has expansion joints every few meters.
“Every time you hear that ‘dadang’ noise, it’s your car going over an expansion joint. The bridge actually expands and contracts depending on the season. There is about a four-to-sixinch difference in the summer and winter.”
Just a few feet from the expansion joint are two metal beams that form an X across the width of the span. The cross beams are to make sure the other two don’t twist. When a truck is going over one side, the bridge can shift, so there is counteraction to make sure it doesn’t.
Forty-two employees at Strait Crossing run the bridge and its maintanence.
“We do everything in-house. The one thing we don’t do is diving. We hire a special company to dive underwater and see what the situation is down there.”
Currently, the bridge is undergoing maintanence and inspections.
“Each year we walk the entire bridge and look for anything that seems like it isn’t working or doesn’t belong.
“So far so good. We haven’t found anything difficult to deal with. But just as importantly, our job every year is to say, based on what we see today, is the bridge going to last 100 years.”
Inside the Strait Crossing main building, bridge controllers, like Andrew Noonan, and their supervisor, run the operations.
“There are about 45 cameras that monitor the bridge, and the other facilities,” said Noonan.
He has worked with Strait Crossing for 20 years.
“I’ve been here since the first day it opened.
“The convenience of the bridge is astounding,” he adds.
Bridge controllers have the ability to change speed limits, control the electronics, update restrictions and even close the bridge.
“We have access to wind radar that determines the gusts. I can see everything that happens on the bridge. So if there is maintanence in one section, I can change the stop signals and speed limits accordingly.”
The electronics also run because of the energy sent from New Brunswick, compressed in P.E.I. and then shot back through the bridge.
“The electricity that is sent to us is very big. We need to make it smaller to be able to work with it,” said Le Chasseur, as he motions to the generator in the utility room.
If the bridge loses power, the generator takes 20 seconds to start. It’s tested every week, he said.
But if the power goes out, “there are the big batteries,” he adds as he points to what looks like stacks of computer modems, rectangular and black with flashing lights.
“The batteries can run the whole bridge, the entire thing, for two hours. When the power goes out, the batteries work and then send a signal to the generator to turn on.”
There is also an extensive computer system, which control the bridge’s electronics, personal laptops, and the other systems.
When the bridge was being built, Strait Crossing set up a fabrication yard in BordenCarleton. Part of it is still used today for mechanical work, welding, carpentry and other repairs. It’s also where machinery and vehicles are stored.
Le Chasseur has been with the project since its inception. His favourite part of the bridge is the main bridge.
“It’s a spectacular beast. You wouldn’t think you’re in a bridge. It’s two football fields long.”
“Well, this is it. You’re inside the Confederation Bridge.” Michel Le Chasseur “Every time you hear that ‘da-dang’ noise, it’s your car going over an expansion joint. Michel Le Chasseur