CR 30 to be closed 10 to12 weeks for bridge repairs
Trent River bridge needs emergency rehab later this summer
County Road 30 will be closed for 10 to 12 weeks in late summer and into the fall so Northumberland County can undertake “emergency rehabilitation” of the bridge over the Trent River.
The exact timing of the closure won’t be known until the contract has been awarded. Detours will send drivers on local roads to County Road 50 or County Road 45.
The bridge requires repairs to the expansion joints at the north and south ends. “In addition to these repairs, county staff are assessing the feasibility of incorporating other rehabilitation work to minimize future costs and disruptions,” said Kate Campbell, Director of Communications for the county.
Design work is now being done. “Once the design plans are finalized, the project will be issued for tender, and a construction schedule will be developed,” she said. “Although the exact timeline has not yet been confirmed, it is anticipated that construction will occur later this summer and extend into the fall, with an estimated duration of 10 to 12 weeks.”
A report to county council said emergency temporary repair work had been done and now “emergency rehabilitation” is required to fix the bridge.
Council was asked to shift spending plans, delaying culvert work planned on CR 45, and pay about $1.1 million for the repairs, during its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
The report says a routine inspection found that the expansion joint on the north end of the bridge had separated from the structure. “There was also evidence of settlement in the asphalt surface adjacent to the expansion joint,” the report says.
The cause of the problem was not obvious, so the county asked an engineering consultant to examine the bridge. The engineer’s report found that the method of construction was unusual and had permitted the granular material below the concrete to get wet then freeze and thaw, creating a gap.
“It should be noted that the expansion joint for this structure was not constructed at the bridge abutment as is typically seen,” it says. “The expansion joint was constructed on what is known as a sleeper slab and is positioned within the approach of the bridge deck. The sleeper slab is supported by granular material.”
The repairs will remove and replace the expansion joint and the sleeper slab it is lying on. It will improve drainage so that the granular material will not become wet and subject to freezing and thawing. As a protective measure, the same work will be done on the south end of the bridge.
“Without this rehabilitation there is a high risk of further damage to the expansion joint and sleeper slab and in turn this has a high potential of a bridge closure,” the report says.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on my website here.
Thank you
Thanks Art, good to know. County and Municipal should be paying you to get the news out. I remember the old bridges, showing my age.