After being closed for three years for a rehabilitation project, the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge is now open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Parks Canada made the announcement on Friday (October 20) in a media release, although the federal government agency responsible for infrastructure along the Trent-Severn Waterway said “another short closure” would be required next spring.
The project to rehabilitate the bridge, which began in October 2020, was originally scheduled to be completed in May 2021. Delays with the fabrication and delivery of hydraulic and mechanical components, and the discovery that some components of the bridge were in worse condition than originally anticipated, changed the expected completion date to summer 2021.
In July 2021, Parks Canada announced the bridge would not reopen that summer since key mechanical components involved in rotating the bridge needed to be refabricated as they did not meet safety and quality standards. The refabricated components were to be installed in October 2021 following the closing of the navigation season, with the bridge expected to reopen for vehicle use in December 2021.
In December 2021, Parks Canada announced a new consultant has been brought onto the project to review and finalize the design and the refabrication of required components for the bridge. After the review of the project, the contractor advised Parks Canada the reopening of the bridge needed to be delayed to spring 2022 due to issues mainly associated with the mechanical component refabrication.
In February 2022, the reopening of bridge was delayed until fall 2022 as the refabrication of the mechanical components for the bridge had been slower than expected. Mechanical components and hydraulic equipment manufactured for the bridge were expected to arrive on site in September. In April, June, and August 2022, Parks Canada advised the bridge reopening continued be on track for fall 2022.
In October 2022, Parks Canada announced the bridge would remain closed through the end of 2022 due to a delay in receiving expected mechanical components and hydraulic equipment manufactured for the bridge.
In January this year, work continued to install mechanical components as they arrived on-site as well as working to complete the installation of the wooden bridge deck. In March, a major milestone was reached with the successful balancing of the bridge, allowing it to be lowered onto its centre support. In April, the bridge was swing manually for the first time. In May, installation of the hydraulic and electrical systems for the lock was completed.
Over the summer and early fall, configuration and installation of mechanical equipment under the bridge was completed, as well as installation and levelling of the end ramps, forming and pouring of concrete, and testing of the hydraulics. Site cleanup, backfilling and landscaping, plate adjustments, and installation of the flashing on the bridge was completed.
“Parks Canada would like to thank the Bobcaygeon community for their patience and understanding during the construction period,” reads the media release.
The bridge will be temporarily closed again in the spring prior to the opening of the navigation season, so that the final mechanical components required to optimize the bridge swing operations can be installed and to allow commissioning activities to be completed.
Parks Canada says it will provide more information on the timing and duration of this closure in the coming months.
