LA ROMAINE BRIDGE

This 250 foot long bridge is part of the huge La Romaine hydro power mega-project.  The La Romaine project is the construction of four hydro-power plants on the Romaine River, which flows into the Gulf of St Lawrence.  The project will be complete in 2020 and bring 1,550 megawatts of capacity.  Along with the construction of the four plants, nearly 500 km of new transmission lines will also be built.

The rugged strength of hot-dip galvanizing and its self-repairing galvanic protection provide a double duty benefit...

Hydro Quebec, the publicly owned utility in Quebec oversees the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for all of Quebec.  Hydro Quebec is deeply committed to hot-dip galvanizing with many nearly 100-year-old hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) transmission tower lines still in service.  Therefore, when considering the extreme remoteness of the area, a long, maintenance-free life for the bridge was an absolute must.

The bridge is in an area with very short summers and long difficult winters. This made the installation window short.  The rapid high capacity turnaround of the local galvanizer was an important consideration.  The rough installation environment and weather could cause substantial damage to other coating system such as paint, and future maintenance would be difficult.

The rugged strength of hot-dip galvanizing and its self-repairing galvanic protection provide a double duty benefit Hydro Quebec engineers know and appreciate.  HDGs low cost and little to no maintenance will ensure this steel bridge can withstand the challenges of its harsh environment for many decades to come.

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