LITTLE CURRENT—The last swing of the season went slightly awry last week as the Manitoulin swing bridge failed to completely close Tuesday, November 28 after opening to allow for the annual silica barge passage.
“When the bridge opened at 9 am to let a ship go through there was a bearing issue,” said Ministry of Transportation area manager Pierre Lalonde. He noted that crews immediately went to work and the issue was resolved within the hour.
“The bridge was not designed for colder weather,” noted Mr. Lalonde. “We have on occasion swung it in January, but that was in very mild weather. We have requested that the barge make its deliveries earlier in the season.”
Mr. Lalonde went on to add that the bridge is over 100 years old (in fact, the oldest structure on the provincial highway system) and although designed to take the heavy load of a freight and passenger trains, it was never intended to swing more than a couple of times a week at most. “Now it is swinging every hour on the hour in the summer,” he said.
The final environmental assessments have been completed on the plans for a new bridge and detailed engineering plans are currently underway.
