LANARK, ONT. — Acrow, a bridge engineering and supply company, recently designed and supplied two modular steel bridges to permanently replace the aging Blakeney Bridge in Lanark, Ont.
According to a release, the original single-lane crossing was built in 1915 and consisted of three separate structures spanning the Mississippi River via two islands. Situated in a rural area, the bridge is considered critical for enhancing accessibility for farmers, area residents and tourists.
It had been repaired and rehabilitated over the years, including a major project in 2000 to extend the life of the structure, but further improvements were needed.
Thus, after a competitive tender process, Acrow was awarded the contract.
One of the structures supplied is a 15-bay bridge with an overall length of 45.57 metres. The second bridge, which is a single span, has a length of 27.36 metres.
Each structure has a custom two-lane roadway width of 7.92 metres.
Both bridges have a crowned asphalt overlay deck surface, the release adds.
The company proposed an innovative launch method to contractor Looby Construction, which entailed installing the longer two-span bridge first with a cantilever launch, using parts from the single-span bridge. Once the longer two-span bridge was in place, the single-span bridge was installed with a crane-assisted launch, which eliminated the need for additional launching equipment, the release adds.
The bridge officially opened in June.
