Massive new bridge connects island of Montreal to rest of Canada

Montreal: A monumental new bridge spanning the Saint Lawrence River and connecting the island metropolis of Montreal to the rest of Canada is set to open Monday after four years of construction, an AFP flyover showed Friday.

The slightly curved 3.4-kilometre cable-stayed span will replace the rusted and crumbling Champlain Bridge, named after the founder of New France and erected 57 years ago.

The new bridge, designed by Danish architect Poul Ove Jensen, will open traffic towards Montreal on Monday and southbound on July 1.

Designed to withstand Canada's harsh winters, the six-lane bridge with a transit deck and a path for pedestrians and cyclists is expected to last 125 years.

Motorists driving across it will be treated with a spectacular view of the city, its downtown skyscrapers silhouetted by Mont-Royal.

The public-private partnership project cost Can$4.2 billion.

The current Champlain Bridge is used by some 50 million vehicles each year, connecting the city to surrounding suburbs and towns, and is a major thoroughfare for the transportation of goods to and from the United States.