Case Study in Engineering History Education: Robert Stephenson’s 'Last Great Work' — The Victoria Bridge in Montréal

The Victoria Bridge across the St. Lawrence River at Montreal is considered one of the great engineering achievements of the nineteenth century. At the time of its construction it was the largest bridge project in the world. It was also the last major project of the last of the legendary British engineering figures of the Victorian era, Robert Stephenson (1803-1859). The author points out that there were many doubters as to the ability of the engineers of the day to construct a project of this size given the physical conditions of the site. The story of the construction of the Victoria Bridge is one that combines business imperatives, engineering design skills, and construction ingenuity with the enormous challenges presented by one of the world's great, fast flowing rivers and with the severity of Canadian winters and the massive "ice shoves" that occur as a result. The bridge was constructed between 1854 and 1860 and was formally opened by the Prince of Wales in the summer of 1860. Following its completion, the author points out that controversy raged as to who deserved the most credit for the conception and design of the bridge. Starting in 1897, the original Tubular Superstructure was replaced by pin-connected through trusses designed to carry two rail tracks with a roadway and sidewalk cantilevered out on each side.

Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education & Practice

Vol. 131

no. 1

32-40

January 2005

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