|
Bridge slated for major repairs - Information centre open Wednesday seeking public input
Port Dover has a bascule bridge over the Lynn River in the harbour which is 37 years old and is slated for repairs.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation the McCormick Rankin Corporation of Mississauga has been awarded a contract for “rehabilitation of the Lynn River Bascule Bridge” at Port Dover. These major repairs and improvements will be done in the winter months.
As advertised in this week’s and last week’s Maple Leaf there will be a public information centre set up in Port Dover Community Centre today (Wednesday) from 4 to 8:00 p.m. It is to allow interested people to review and comment on the proposed design. Engineers for this contract are encouraging people to give their views and comments so those can be addressed as the project progresses.
The work includes replacement of the electronic and hydraulic control system, other mechanical and electrical improvements, minor concrete repairs to the two abutments, cleaning and coating of the steel work for the superstructure.
A reader recently asked The Maple Leaf “what is a bascule bridge? That word is not in my dictionary.”
The editorial staff looked in the Oxford dictionary to find the precise definition, to their surprise, the word bascule in not listed there. Further investigation by our wordsmiths for the meaning of ‘bascule’ came up with the answer.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, we quote: A bascule bridge is a drawbridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or “leaf”, throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic. Bascule is a French term for seesaw and balance, and bascule bridges operate along the same principle. They are the most common type of movable bridges because they open quickly and require relatively little energy to operate.
The bridge in Port Dover is a ‘double leaf bascule’. The former bridge on the same site was a ‘lift’ bridge as it was operated by gears (not counterweights).
Bascule bridges date back to ancient times but it was not until the 1850s that engineers developed the ability to move very heavy spans quickly enough for practical purposes. Probably the most famous bascule bridge in the world is Tower Bridge across the Thames River in London, England.
It is fair to say the most used and popular bascule bridge in south-western Ontario is in Port Dover. It is slated to get major repairs.
<< Return to News
|
|
