Will periodically close to vehicular traffic while crews fix problem
LITTLE CURRENT—Following two significant mechanical malfunctions in recent weeks, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has closed the Little Current swing bridge to marine traffic, meaning it will not be swinging every hour on the hour until further notice. Bridge crew tell The Expositor they are hopeful the bridge will be fixed—and swinging—by Friday evening or Saturday morning.
Al MacNevin, mayor of the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands, expressed his dismay at the municipality being left in the dark by the MTO for the second day in a row. The municipality was also not informed by the MTO about the bridge breakdown on Thursday morning, August 15. He said they received a call from the MTO’s maintenance contractor, Emcon, at 11 am Friday morning.
The mayor said he realizes the bridge being closed to marine traffic was reported on Ontario 511, “but boats don’t monitor 511.”
The bridge will also be periodically closed to vehicular traffic on Friday as repairs are currently underway.
“We are going to be closing every now and then (to vehicles),” a bridge crew member told The Expositor. “It’s being fixed right now.”
Jill Ferguson of Harbor Vue Marina, which operates on the other side of the bridge, has been offering their marine services to boaters stranded on the east side of the bridge by offering pumpouts, gas and even rides to Little Current should they need to tie up for provisions.
“We’ve done a lot of boat shuffling over the last little while,” she said.
Boats could be seen anchored in the bay near Harbor Vue overnight and a large flotilla has been congregating at Heywood Island, according to Mike Cooney who runs the popular Boating Little Current Area Facebook group. It appears the group has been making the most of their being “stranded.”
To contact Harbor Vue Marina call (705) 368-3212 or call CH 68 on VHF.
