The Silver Bridge in Bracebridge has been lifted for three days to allow supports to be installed as part of an ongoing rehabilitation project.
According to the District of Muskoka, the lifting operation, which was done on Aug. 31, required careful planning, engineering expertise and specialized equipment.
The District said crews built a temporary support system using massive steel beams on each side of the structure, with concrete counterweights weighing more than 160,000 pounds per side used to stabilize the system.
To lift the bridge, officials said crews used eight powerful jacks to raise the 430,000-pound steel truss about 5 centimetres off its bearings over three days.
“That is like lifting a stack of 100 pickup trucks, slowly and carefully, just enough to allow crews to work underneath and at the ends of the bridge,” stated District officials in a release about the project.
District officials said now that the bridge is safely supported, crews can repair and replace damaged steel, complete concrete repairs below the bridge, and install new bridge bearings.
Once this work is complete, the bridge will be carefully lowered onto its new bearings.
The District said the next stages of the project, following the lowering of the bridge, will include deck repairs and expansion joint replacement, additional steel repairs and coating, installation of new guardrails, and waterproofing, paving, and line painting.
