Châteauguay launches construction of its river footbridge

The City of Châteauguay has awarded a $5.1 million contract to Constructions BSL for the construction of a multifunctional footbridge over the Châteauguay River. Work will begin this fall, with the aim of inaugurating the bridge in the summer of 2025.

Translation Amanda Bennett

This new infrastructure will link Parc Chèvrefils, located right next to CHSLD Trèfle d'Or, to Avenue de la Verdure, on the opposite bank of the Châteauguay River. The city says It will be accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and people with reduced mobility 12 months a year.

A belvedere will be built in the middle of the footbridge, offering a panoramic view of the river.

“A 30-metre ramp with an adapted slope will be built in Chèvrefils Park for easier access, and dynamic LED lighting will highlight the footbridge, day and night,” it explained.

Châteauguay Mayor Eric Allard called it a “flagship project” for the municipal council.

“The construction of this new footbridge marks the start of a major project to revitalize the city and make it more welcoming and inclusive,” he commented.

The footbridge is a key step in the plan to revitalize Hydro-Québec's easement. The Crown corporation has dismantled a series of electrical towers no longer in use in the Châteauguay-Beauharnois corridor. The city intends to develop a seven-kilometer linear park on this easement. The footbridge will link the easements on either side of the river.

In addition to the footbridge, the project will include “the addition of a paved multifunctional trail and a stone dust biodiversity corridor on both sides of Chèvrefils Park and de la Verdure Avenue”. The project is scheduled for completion in autumn 2025.

Six companies submitted bids to build the footbridge. Prices ranged from $5.1 to $8.9 million.

The mayor mentioned in 2023 that the city would benefit from a $1.1 million subsidy for the work on the footbridge.