Canada replaces Bridge Overnight

Out with the old and in with the new.

The dingy and battered bridges that withstood nearly 50 years of daily pressure from thousands of vehicles sat alone next to the Queensway yesterday, a sign that the times are a-changing.

Construction crews had just performed Canada's first overnight replacement for the east- and westbound Island Park Dr. overpasses.

Huge machines controlled by men picked up the old bridges and plopped two shiny new ones in their place in less than one calendar day.

On the highway yesterday morning, politicians, media and construction workers marvelled at the brand spanking new bridges.

"I am absolutely thrilled," said Ontario Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield.

It is the first time such a procedure, which has proved effective in Europe and the U.S., has been employed on a Canadian highway.

GLITCH CAUSED DELAY

"We've been doing it on railways. It's as simple as picking the bridge up ... dropping it off and picking up the new bridge," said Glen Aitken of Mammoet Canada Eastern, the company that supplied the multi-wheeled lifting platforms.

But it wasn't easy. Workers ran into a small glitch that put the westbound lane behind by a few hours. Engineers reported a problem with a hydraulic hose, which caused the delay.

The eastbound road was opened to one lane just after 11:30 a.m. and the westbound lane opened in the early afternoon.

The event attracted hundreds of spectators who sat in bleachers and lined nearby streets to get an up-close view of the work.

It's also drawing attention elsewhere, Cansfield said. After saving upwards of $12 million by doing the work in one day, the Ontario government might decide to do it elsewhere.

'IT MAKES SENSE'

Cansfield said the government will look at other locations "across the province where it makes sense. It's the way to go."

She said the project would have taken two years the traditional way, causing headaches for commuters and wreaking havoc on the environment from idling vehicles.

The bridges were built in 1959 and were patched in 1983, but by 2005 the government decided they needed to be replaced.