A Kitchener bridge that has been closed for the past two weeks will remain closed due to fears it could collapse without warning.
According to a report received Wednesday by Kitchener councillors, structural engineers reviewed the Margaret Avenue bridge and recommended that it remain closed while the city investigate options for repair and replacement.
The bridge was built in 1959.
While older bridges typically show effects of aging, for example chunks of concrete falling off, the Margaret bridge was built in a way that the signs of aging aren’t as visible.
“The failure is sudden. We don’t get any warning,” says Barbara Robinson, the city’s director of engineering.
“Although we know the steel in there is 55 years old, we can’t actually physically inspect it to see what kind of condition it’s in."
A similar bridge in Laval, Que., collapsed in 2006, killing five people.
A second opinion on the consultants’ report is expected to be complete by mid-July.
“If we have to replace it, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll have to find the money somewhere,” says Robinson.
A replacement bridge would likely cost somewhere in the vicinity of $5 million.
In the meantime, drivers and pedestrians in north Kitchener may experience more headaches and frustration than normal, as Weber Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction later this month due to construction.
The bridge was closed June 13 after a report recommending the closure was released. That report stemmed from a routine inspection of the bridge done in January.
