The work goes on

Since last September, the Delcan Corporation in association with Guardian Bridge Rapid Construction Inc. has been restoring the Minto Bridges. I was wrong about the main reason for this work. It's being done because the steel grating on the "deck" has previously allowed road salt to corrode the structure below. Therefore it is going to be replaced by a composite wood and fibreglass deck. This will still allow salt to fall into the river, unfortunately, but the bridge will now be stronger and more durable, allowing heavier traffic to cross. 

It’s a very robust and durable material ... 10 times stronger than steel, 30 per cent lighter, and immune to corrosion ... The deck tapers slightly from the centre allowing water to drain into gutters, protecting the structure below-deck from salt. The run-off will flow into the river.

When we saw that our access to the bridges was blocked, we wondered how long we'd have to wait before we could cross them again. I was wrong about that too; the notice said December 15th, but according to the Ottawa Citizen, they are now saying the work will be completed in "early February." I have my doubts. It is an ambitious project, the first of its kind in Ottawa.

The first section to be restored by the City of Ottawa is Minto Bridge West, a 53-metre long span between Green Island and King Edward Avenue. There are plans to rehabilitate the other two spans but the work has not yet been scheduled.

This morning I can hear the construction work from Cathcart Street, loud and clear, but the workers can't be seen. They carry on operating in most weathers––but not at night (as would doubtless happen in China)––under a temporary shelter that covers the whole span of that first bridge. You can see it in my photo above.