Sixth Grade
Worksheets
The Quebec Bridge Disaster
Caption: Collapse of the centre span of the Quebec Bridge in 1916
For centuries the only way to get from the south shore of the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City on the north shore was to take a ferry. The first bridge project was suggested in 1852, but it would take another 50 years for the project to begin.
It seemed like a brilliant idea. The bridge could not only take highway traffic, but also pedestrian, rail, and streetcar traffic as well. It was not so easy to build as it seemed.
Those in charge chose a site six miles from the city. The chosen site played havoc with the designs. The St. Lawrence River had to be kept open for sea-going vessels. That meant that the span of the bridge had to be 150 feet above the water. The bridge itself had to be 2,800 feet long with an open 1,800 foot span in the middle.
