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Acrow Bridge supplies structure to restore passage during reconstruction of Port Bruce Bridge

Acrow Bridge, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, has announced that it designed and provided a modular structure to Elgin County for use during the reconstruction of the Port Bruce Bridge on Imperial Road/County Road 73 in Port Bruce, Ont. The bridge will restore safe passage of traffic after the collapse of the existing bridge in February during heavy rains and flooding throughout Southwestern Ontario.

The Port Bruce Bridge is the only direct route over Catfish Creek, which divides the north and south sides of the small town on the shores of Lake Erie. In addition to impacting local businesses and residents, the collapse and resulting 5 km detour has led to increased response times for emergency vehicles and inconvenienced visitors to the area, which is a popular destination for anglers during the May to early October fishing season.

At the time of the collapse of the 54-year-old concrete structure, a loaded dump truck was crossing and was left stranded and partially submerged in the creek. Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of the accident, but the truck remained where it fell for four weeks until a comprehensive plan was put in place to safely remove its cargo and fuel and proceed with a complicated extrication. Ultimately, the truck was lifted off with a giant crane, an event that attracted media and a large crowd of onlookers.

The Acrow bridge was purchased by Elgin County, which anticipates reusing it for future projects. The single-lane span is 54.8 meters (180 feet) long and 5.5 meters (18 feet) wide with an epoxy aggregate anti-skid coated steel deck and a CL-625 ONT Truck load rating per Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code. Construction on the temporary bridge began July 3 and was completed on August 15. It opened to traffic on August 20 and is expected to be in place for two years.

Spriet Associates Ltd. of London, Ont. is the design engineer for the project and the contractor is Maclean Taylor Construction Ltd. of St. Marys, Ont.

“Using a temporary detour bridge can help ensure the project stays on or ahead of schedule, important for both contractors and government agencies,” said Gordon Scott, senior project manager and structural engineer at Acrow Bridge. “Acrow modular bridges, available for rent or purchase, are cost-effective and provide a safe and dependable route for local residents and area businesses.”

About Acrow Bridge
Acrow Bridge has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 60 years with a full line of modular steel bridging solutions for vehicle, rail, military and pedestrian use. Acrow’s extensive international presence includes its leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 80 countries, covering Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.