The Signature on the Saint Lawrence (SSL) consortium chose Avenue 8 to develop a strong digital presence for the new Champlain Bridge corridor project. This was a major challenge as the construction site is one of the largest infrastructure projects in North America.
Visit the websiteSome 50 million users take the existing bridge every year, and many residents are directly affected by the construction site, which will run until 2018. A landmark for Montréal, this unique project will not only shine in Canada, but also globally. The project includes ultra-modern technologies in terms of engineering as well as urban and social planning.
How can we offer transparent communication, up to the minute information, and ongoing two-way communication with the public? We developed a digital strategy that promotes real-time content distribution and dialogue with citizens, while being sufficiently scalable to follow the different phases of the work.
The graphic identity of the bridge was inspired from an aerial photograph of the rendered bridge. The use of icons was developed as a way to efficiently guide the user through the navigation of the website.
In it’s role as the central platform to inform and reassure the population, the site offers the latest news, descriptions of the project, and an place to ask questions. The Citizen Space (Espace Citoyen) is personalized for each impacted neighborhood and contains reports and news relating to neighbourhood committees or information sessions.
Twitter and YouTube provide citizens with up to date and exclusive content. Participatory virtual events punctuate the interactions with the community and a monthly newsletter and automatic alerts round out the ecosystem.
A series of video capsules explaining the different phases of the construction site are broadcast exclusively on the web. An interactive site visit, real time images, time lapses, animations and graphics are also be broadcast regularly.
I met with Avenue 8 when I had an unreasonably demanding schedule to build the new Champlain Bridge website. I was impressed by their calm approach, the quality of the strategic reflection, and the methodical and rapid way in which the Avenue 8 team got started with this website. It is a great pleasure to work with professionals who care about their work and the success of their clients.
Thanks to an extensive referencing plan and optimized copywriting, the website has rapidly positioned itself as a privileged source of information for the public. In just 6 months, the results are impressive, and several surprises are yet to come!
Statistics as of April 1, 2016
