This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Lafontaine Tunnel.
Inaugurated on March 11, 1967 after four years of construction, the Lafontaine still holds the title of Canada’s longest submerged tunnel. The tunnel itself is 1.5 kilometres long, connected to a bridge of 457 metres.
At the time of its construction, the tunnel cost approximately $ 75 million, and has facilitated travelling for some 130,000 commuters daily in the years since.
The idea for the underwater tunnel was made public long before construction began. In 1880, Irish-Montrealer Walter Shanly – a civil engineer – wrote an article for a local weekly newspaper describing a hypothetical, state-of-the-art tunnel connecting Hochelaga (Montreal) and Longueuil.
Beginning in 1963, seven sections were built in a dry dock in the St. Lawrence River leaving enough room to keep the shipping lanes open.
Once the segments were finished the dry dock was flooded and the tunnel sections were towed into place and sunk in the river.
The joints were sealed and the entire tunnel was covered with a membrane and buried under tons of rock to make sure it didn't float or shift from its position.
It was an engineering wonder at the time and remains in impressive condition.
“The tunnel's in great shape thanks to good maintenance over the years,” said Fadi Moubayed of Transports Quebec.
The control room monitors traffic day and night, 24 hours a day, seven days a week watching for anything out of the ordinary.
A year and a half ago when an RV's propane tanks went up in flames, giant ventilator shafts sucked in air from the South Shore and blew it out toward Montreal to vent the tunnel of toxic fumes.
Though it is in good shape, time is catching up with the structure: Work is scheduled for this summer. The road, walls and ceiling will be resurfaced in the overnight hours and plans are already on the drawing board for a major overhaul.
“The roadway's concrete slab is corroding from five decades of traffic, road salt and other corrosives,” said Moubayed.
The work will begin after the Turcot Interchange is replaced and the new Champlain Bridge is built.
Moubayed said Commuters don't need the extra headache of another construction site.
Once the work is done it's hoped a refurbished tunnel will last into the next century.
