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O’REILLY’S BRIDGE – PART 4
DEMOLITION DATE FOR O’REILLEY’S BRIDGE
Historic Pelham-Wainfleet Span Set To Go Down Tuesday
[Niagara This Week, 25 March 2010]
The demolition of the historic O’Reilly’s Bridge spanning the Welland River on the Pelham-Wainfleet border is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday starting at about noon.
Mike DiPaola, associate director of transportation engineering with the Region, said that schedule could change.
So ‘live updates’ on the bridge demolitions will be posted on the Region’s website.
“Because of the age of the bridge and its historical significance, we anticipate that this event is something residents would be interested in witnessing,” said Dipaola.
To ensure safety, spectators are asked to park and watch from the E.C. Brown Conservation Area parking lot, located on the north side of the river, west of the bridge site, DiPaola said.
The plan is to lift the 106-year old iron frame bridge off the abutments, in one piece, with a crane, place the structure on the south side, and then dismantle it. Some of the iron pieces from the bridge will be used to erect an historical marker that will include a photo and plaque.
The bridge is being replaced with a two-lane concrete bridge that is scheduled to be in place by the end of November.
Last March, regional staff told regional politicians that the bridge was too far gone to be saved, and that it had to be closed until a replacement was built.
The single-lane bridge, which dates back to about 1905, was inspected by a structural engineering consultant and the consultant found the bridge was amess: deck beams were deformed, tension lines were loose, top sway cross bracings were loose and sagging, and there was severe corrosion. The Region immediately closed the bridge and detoured traffic.
Ken Brothers, commissioner of public works for the Region which owns the bridge, flashed photos of the deterioration for politicians to see just how bad the structure’s condition was.
Regional staff investigated whether it was possible to re-open the bridge, but have found out it cannot be stabilized, Brothers said.
The rapid deterioration was probably hastened by the fact, large commercial trucks appeared to have been using the bridge, despite a posted restriction banning them, Brothers said.
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