Reports of the prematurely-deteriorating Champlain Bridge in
Montreal have sparked renewed discussion about the lifespan of
major bridges. The Champlain Bridge, completed in 1962 with
an expected lifespan of 100 years, has had significant
deterioration, much attributed to a $2 million savings at the time
of its construction; see commentary here. In short, the combination of
pre-stressed concrete girders and the lack of a drainage plan
resulted in an influx of salt-infused water from winter
road-salting operations, and deterioration of the pre-stressing
cables. The replacement is estimated to cost between $3 and
$5 billion.
Many notable bridges have lasted well beyond 100 years,
including the Brooklyn Bridge (1883), the Forth River Rail Bridge in Scotland (1890), and
the Victoria Bridge (1860) located just a few miles
from the Champlain Bridge and built more than 100 years
earlier. To be fair, each of these bridges has had major
maintenance and in some instances
