On June 20, the Nelson Street pedestrian bridge was lifted off its foundation by a huge 700-tonne crane and relocated.
The bridge is slated to be replaced this year at a cost of around $3 million.
Weighing 24,947 kg (55,000 lbs), the bridge is 52 metres long. Because of its size, weight, length and location, the contractor, GDB Constructeurs, used a Mammoet crane able to reach 35 metres and haul 25,000 kg for the job.
The bridge has been a topic of discussion for years, and was part of the Elgin Greenway project proposed several years ago.
At the time, it was contemplated to be renovated. Now, it’s facing a complete replacement.
“It’s definitely less expensive in the long term to replace the bridge,” city project manager Stephen Holmes told Sudbury.com in December, 2023.
The existing structure was built in 1980 and is considered part of the Trans-Canada Trail.
In a municipal report, it’s noted to have “many cracks in the concrete deck, areas of severe delamination and disintegration with exposed and corroded structural steel at the mid-span.”
The cost to replace the steel superstructure is approximately the same as rehabilitating it, which is why the city has gone with a new build.
The new structure will be a prefabricated Warren truss structure three metres in width, which is approximately one metre wider than the existing bridge and will allow room for both pedestrian and cyclist use. Built of galvanized steel, the new structure is expected to have a lifespan of 100 years with minor rehabilitation.
The new bridge will be ancillary to the Paris-Notre Dame Bikeway, with pavement markings and signage linking the two rail crossings together with bike lanes.
“That will give people the option of using this bridge if they’re not comfortable crossing the Paris Street bridge,” Holmes said, noting that while the Paris Street bridge will also have bike lanes, the Nelson Street pedestrian bridge won’t have vehicular traffic to contend with.
The bridge’s construction will require its full closure for four months, during which pedestrians will be detoured to the Bridge of Nations (Paris Street bridge) approximately 200 metres west.
The removal of the existing bridge is one of the first steps in the replacement process, Holmes said last year, while the new prefabricated bridge is constructed off-site.
The old bridge was placed on Edmond Street for disassembly and removal.
“There will be some repairs to the existing foundations for probably two or three months, and then once the bridge fabrication is complete, they will be installing the bridge in a relatively short time,” he said, adding that it’s expected to take a half-day to lift the bridge into place.
