This past Summer the federal government announced plans to erect a new Champlain Bridge .Being the busiest crossing in Canada, with $20 billion of goods and resources traded across it, the Champlain is essential to Quebec's, and the nation's, economy. So a new bridge would be a good thing right? Well, given how much it will cost taxpayers, plus the amount the current bridge is taking out of our pockets, the new Champlain project may cost more money than its worth.

The Lowdown on the New Bridge

• estimated cost will be 3-5 billion dollars to build...that's right, BILLION
• to be completed by 2021-22 (so ten years)
• 3.4 km long
• Quebec will play a key role in funding and construction, with collaboration from the federal government

But Why A New Bridge?

The existing Champlain bridge is not in a good state. An existing crack has already shut down a major southbound lane, resulting in:

• 500 buses unable to transport commuters through reserved bus lanes
• 7 day repair time, or longer, because when are those estimates ever accurate?
• $500 million in repairs to fix the crack, and get the entire bridge safe and on the level

Given how the current bridge is literally falling apart, and already costs millions in maintenance, the construction of a new bridge sounds like a solid idea, right? Not after when you compare the project to other bridges around the world.

Proof The Bridge Project Is Crazy Expensive

5 billion dollars for a new bridge? Sounds fine...I guess, given how almost no one really knows how much bridges cost to make. Well, here are 5 bridges that were 1/5 of the cost to construct, or less!

• $56.8 million - Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge in Brazil.
• $100 million - Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
• 540 million - Paik Nam June Media Bridge in Seoul, South Korea
• $1.2 billion - Vasco da Gama bridge in Lisbon Porturgal
• $575 million - Viaduct Milllau in France

So not only is the Champlain bridge already costing taxpayers millions of dollars to maintain, and now repair, but it is going to cost the country BILLIONS to create a new bridge, for reasons unknown given that similar projects have literally costed other nation's a fraction of the amount.  Why? Only the big dogs in Ottawa know, for now.

Since the federal government is mainly behind the construction project, mafia-run corruption construction (as we're used to in Montreal) is probably not the cause of the extra billions needed for the new Champlain Bridge. A Canadian bridge will cost a little more, given are crazy Winters, but 4 billion dollars more? Where is this cash going? What is being put on this new bridge that warrants so much money? I think its time we demand some solid numbers from the feds before they start taking the money out of our pockets.

Agree with how ridiculoulosly expensive the Champlain Bridge is, and will be? Think the project is worth the dough? Let us know in the comments below.

Sources - Actualite, Montreal Gazette