It was then renamed to commemorate Olivier Charbonneau (1613–1687), French frontiersman and first inhabitant of Île Jésus, where the city of Laval now stands.

It also provides a route around the city of Montreal by connecting Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel to Highway 440, thus allowing motorists to avoid the congested Metropolitan Expressway.

The long anticipated construction[4] began in early 2008, despite a last-ditch attempt by Greenpeace[6] to block the project, and the bridge was opened to traffic on May 21, 2011, at 12:30pm (EDT).

The bridge uses an electronic toll system that allows cars to cross without having to stop at a traditional booth, ultimately reducing traffic.

[11] Crossing the bridge without a transponder triggers the system to automatically take a picture of the vehicle's license plate and send an invoice by mail.