In 1913, the Algoma Eastern Railway swing bridge at Little Current was constructed as part of a 140km rail link from Sudbury to Little Current linking Manitoulin Island to mainland Ontario. It is the only land link between Manitoulin and the mainland. The Little Current Swing Bridge, representing the best in contemporary engineering, was listed in the Ontario Heritage Bridge program in 1983. It is a rare survivor with much of its mechanisms remaining and in working order. 175m long, it consists of two 21.7m fixed girder spans, a 113m through truss swing span with equal arms, and an 18.6m fixed girder span. The large 850t swing span (one of the largest in Canada) rotates on a centre pier. In 1945, the bridge was converted to dual use and in 1982, when acquired by MTO, it was restricted to vehicular traffic. Over the years, it has undergone minor modifications yet still retains most of its major elements. In 1999, MTO retained Stantec to design the modernization and automation of the operation of the 86 year old structure because of concerns about its operational reliability. Being a Heritage structure, the operation, outward appearance and colour had to be maintained. A sophisticated design resulted, allowing complete operation of the bridge by the push of a button. Mechanical rehabilitation consisted of replacement of the main and wedge drive systems with a more direct drive system located under the swing span to improve efficiency and reliability. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E211271.(Author/publisher).
Abstract