Ontario Construction News staff writer
FNX-INNOV has been awarded a contract for quality control and materials engineering for a construction project on Route 138 in Quebec.
The 9.1-kilometre stretch from Tête-à-la-Baleine to La Tabatière is designed to reduce the isolation of residents who currently have to travel by boat, plane or snowmobile.
The Highway 138 extension will link five Lower North Shore communities to the rest of Quebec. Only in winter is the region accessible by land via the Route blanche, a snowmobile trail. The overall project was segmented into several sections, including the “Tête-à-la-Baleine to La Taatière” section, for which FNX-INNOV was awarded a mandate.
FNX-INNOV will work on materials engineering for the construction of two road segments with a total length of 9.1 km, as well as a 161.2 m span steel-concrete structure including three continuous spans composed of steel beams.
The structure will cross the Lac de Gros-Mécatina river. Specific technical elements involving the treatment of organic soils, as well as clay consolidation work using pre-loading backfill, counterweights and the installation of vertical drains will be carried out as part of this mandate.
Due to the remoteness of the site, transportation of equipment by boat, plane and helicopter will be necessary, and potential delays due to weather conditions are to be expected. In addition, it will be necessary to install a materials testing laboratory directly on the worksite, so that work can be carried out nearby.
Also, the local manufacture of granular materials and cement concrete will present compliance challenges. Finally, the short summer period will require adaptations for cold-weather work, with clear communication of expectations to the contractor.