Confederation Bridge Replacement Project

The Canadian ZC18050/51 Project, known as the Confederation Bridge Replacement Project, is a highly challenging and landmark overseas project undertaken by China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC). Located across the Northumberland Strait between Prince Edward Island (PEI) and New Brunswick (NB) in southeastern Canada, the project involves the prefabrication and replacement of 46 bridge spans on the Confederation Bridge.
The project owner is Straight Crossing Development Inc. (SCDI), the owner and management company of the Confederation Bridge. The general contractor is a joint venture between Highway Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd. (HPDI), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), and the major Dutch contractor Heijmans. HPDI is responsible for the detailed bridge design, part of the precasting, and all replacement construction work.
The project presents multiple technical challenges. The new precast girders must achieve millimeter-level precision matching with the existing 40-year-old piers, requiring complex jacking, sliding, and lowering techniques during replacement. Located in a high-latitude, frigid region, the project site experiences strong strait winds and complex sea conditions, resulting in a short annual operational window. Construction could only occur during brief nighttime closures of the bridge, while ensuring minimal disruption to the approximately 4,000 daily vehicles using this vital land link between Prince Edward Island and mainland Canada.
To overcome these challenges, the project deployed CCCC's independently developed “Modular Replacement Equipment (MRE)” alongside a comprehensive construction methodology. This efficient, safe, and reliable Chinese solution enabled the project to prevail over numerous international competitors.
This project holds extraordinary significance as China's first entry into the North American developed market with