Historic Bridge in Nova Scotia Collapses Because of Truck- Reminder to Obey Weight and Height Limits

Calls are being given to all drivers to obey weight and height limits on bridges after historic bridge collapses in Nova Scotia, Canada

CANSO (NOVA SCOTIA), CANADA/ REDWOOD FALLS (MINNESOTA), USA- Government officials on local, state and national levels are urgently calling on truck drivers to beware of weight and height restrictions on bridges before crossing. This includes crossing bridges with overhead coverings, such as through truss bridges and covered bridges, but also light weight bridges and underpasses.

This is in response to an incident that happened yesterday in the town of Canso, in the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia. There, a semi truck tried to cross the Canso Truss Bridge, a riveted Pratt through truss bridge connecting Durell’s Island with the main land. The truck made it halfway across the structure when the decking gave out and the trusses folded like a deck of cards, sending the truck and the driver 7 meters into the water. The driver was taken to the hospital for injuries. Another person who guided the truck onto the bridge got off before the collapse happened. A video and a link to the article about the incident is below.

Link with video:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbert.delorey.1%2Fvideos%2F310576820116648%2F&show_text=0&width=560

http://globalnews.ca/news/7150678/steel-truss-bridge-near-canso-n-s-collapses/

The bridge, which was the main link to the island was scheduled to be replaced because of its age and structural obsoleteness. Workers had been doing some prep work for a new bridge built alongside the nearly century old structure. A temporary crossing is in the works, yet ferry service has been made available for the island’s residents.

The incident came as officials in Redwood and Renville Counties in Minnesota recently installed “headache” bars at another historic bridge. The Gold Mine Bridge is a Parker through truss bridge spanning the Minnesota River at county highway 17 near the village of Delhi. It was one of two known surviving works of German engineer- later politician, Lawrence H. Johnson, who built the structure in 1903. Truck drivers have reported to have crossed the bridge despite it having a five ton weight limit. Currently, nearby bridges at county highways 6 and 101 are being rebuilt. A bar with the height of 8.5 feet (2 meters) has been erected at both ends of the bridge and a speed limit of 10 mph has been enforced.Truckers needing to cross the Minnesota River are urged to use the Hwy. 71 and 19 Bridges at Morton.

Bridge collapses as a result of disregarding weight and height restrictions are nothing new, for an average of 25-30 bridges worldwide have either been severely damaged or totally destroyed- a third of which come from the United States and Canada. Truckers have complained of being dependent on the GPS system and finding short cuts, yet part of the problem stems from the lack of education, in particular math and sciences, that has become important for all businesses in general. Truckers need it to understand weight and gravity, but also to calculate the difference between convenience versus safety. Other factors like working conditions with poor pay must also be taken into account. While many are annoyed that these bridges have restrictions and signs are needed to inform them, as one engineer stated in response to a collapse of another historic bridge in Iowa in 2017: Signs are there to save lives.

Tips on how to avoid areas, including bridges, that are restricted can be found in an interview done in 2015, which you can click here.

Newsflyer 20 June, 2020

Photo by Gabriela Palai on Pexels.com

To listen to the podcast, click onto this link: https://anchor.fm/jason-smith-bhc19/episodes/BHC-Newsflyer-21-June–2020-efngcj

Headlines:

Bridge Restoration Firm to Close Down

Information on Workin Bridges (including statement):

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWorkinBridges%2Fposts%2F3015290328508224&width=500

Website: https://www.workinbridges.org/

Virginia’s Historic Truss Bridges on the Endangered List

Link: https://www.pecva.org/maps-and-resources/press/1560-historic-truss-bridges-named-among-virginia-s-most-endangered-historic-places

Guide on Virginia’s HBs: https://de.slideshare.net/pecva/virginias-historic-bridges

Top Rankings (bridgehunter.com): https://bridgehunter.com/va/rankings/

The Pursuit to Rename a Historic Bridge in Alabama

Bridge Info: http://bridgehunter.com/al/dallas/2273/

Article 1: https://www.fox5dc.com/news/thousands-sign-petition-to-rename-historic-selma-bridge-after-rep-john-lewis

Article 2: https://www.wsfa.com/2020/06/16/rep-terri-sewell-joins-call-rename-edmund-pettus-bridge/

Covered Bridge in Danger of Collapse

Bridge Info: http://bridgehunter.com/ky/fleming/bh36285/

Article: https://maysville-online.com/top-stories/181686/graton-looking-at-options-to-save-bridge

Historic Bridge in Trier, Germany to be Rehabilitated

Article: https://www.volksfreund.de/region/trier-trierer-land/kaiser-wilhelm-bruecke-trier-ist-vom-6-bis-20-juli-baustelle-mit-sperrungen_aid-51707655

Bridge Info: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser-Wilhelm-Br%C3%BCcke_(Trier)

Hochdonn Viaduct in Schleswig-Holstein to be Repainted

Article: https://www.shz.de/nachrichten/meldungen/2022-beginnt-sanierung-von-2-2-kilometern-bruecke-mit-dem-pinsel-id28648037.html

Bridge Tour: https://bridgehunterschronicles.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/the-bridges-along-the-baltic-north-sea-canal-part-i-the-grand-canal/

A pair of Historic Bridges discovered in southern Germany

Soda Bridge in Bavaria: https://bridgehunterschronicles.wordpress.com/2020/06/19/mystery-bridge-nr-130-the-motorway-bridge-to-nowhere/

Arch Bridge near Lahr: https://www.bo.de/lokales/lahr/historische-bruecke-in-heiligenzell-entdeckt

Plus an important address about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Schlunzig CSB Opens To Traffic

Photos taken in June 2020

SCHLUNZIG/ MOSEL/GLAUCHAU (SAXONY)- When driving on Highway B 93 between Glauchau and Zwickau, one will see its H-shaped towers. When biking along the Mulde Bike Trail, one will be amazed at the red, white and blue colors the bridge has to offer, its sleek, cable-stayed design and how it is well-integrated into the landscape. A platform offers a splendid view of the River Zwickau Mulde. A picnic by the bridge in the field, wonderful. A photographer’s dream. For a bridgehunter, another of many suspension bridges to see along the river and to write about. For the town of Schlunzig, an icon that replaced a communist era structure that was bland, worn out and no longer able to carry today’s traffic. For commuters looking for a short cut to the VW company in Mosel, they got their route back.

Since last Friday, the Schlunzig CSB has opened to all traffic. At the cost of 7.5 million Euros, the town of Schlunzig got more than what it bargained for, when it replaced the 60+ year old bridge with the structure that appeals to all commuters and tourists. That structure, which was torn down when the realignment project started in March of this year, had sustained extensive damage due to the 2013 floods, making rehabiltation unrealistic. It took over three years to complete the bridge, part of it had to do with the delay in the shipment of cables but also with the winter weather in 2017-18. Covid-19 helped make up for lost time due to next to no traffic plus safety precautions needed to ensure the workers were not infected. In the end, we have a four-lane bridge. Of which we have two for cars which can now cross at 50 km/h (before the old structure was torn down, it was only 30). The outer lanes are for bikes on the south side, and pedestrians on the north side. As a bonus, the bridge is lit up at night. One photographer had some evidence in his photos submitted to Glauchau-City’s facebook site:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGlauchauCity%2Fposts%2F2770566676388179&width=500

While the grand opening only had a handful of people due to Covid-19 and the social distancing guidelines, for district administrator, Christoph Scheurer, this is his third bridge over the Zwickau Mulde that he opened to traffic in his nearly 30 years working for the District Zwickau. For him, this is the most beautiful of the bridges, according to a statement in the Free Press.

Having traveled there with my family for Children’s Day, I have to agree. I’ve seen virtually every bridge, including the suspension bridges along the Zwickau Mulde in the four years of bridgehunting in this area. While many cable-stayed bridges are considered hideous by many in the pontist community, I find this bridge is one of the fanciest of the modern bridges I’ve seen in Germany to date. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does need to have a design that will conform to the landscape and city scape. Concrete beam bridges don’t have that taste, which was one of the factors that led to this design being chosen. The bridge will be competition with the likes of the Lunzenau Pedestrian Bridge, as well as bridges in Wolkenburg, Wechselberg and Rochsburg in terms of their design and tourist appeal. But it will also serve as a complement to the structures that have existed along the Mulde for at least a half century, including the Paradiesbrücke and Röhrensteg in Zwickau, the Göhren Viaduct, and the Grimma Suspension Bridge, just to name a few. With a wide variety of structures spanning over three centuries, the bridges along the Zwickau Mulde is becoming a major attraction for bridgehunters, cyclists, tourists and passersby alike. One day a book will have to be made on them and their history. Chances are more than likely it will be a smash hit, especially if written in German and English. 😉

And after designing some bridges for T-shirts, this bridge will be the next one to add and some ideas for it I have. Stay tuned. 🙂

Waldcafé Bridge in Göhren to be Replaced

Photos taken in 2017

Over 115-year old crossing over the Zwickau Mulde will be torn down beginning June 6. Replacement Bridge to be completed by End of November

LUNZENAU (SAXONY), GERMANY- One can see the bridge from the Göhren Railway Viaduct. The structure and the viaduct itself were once a photographer’s dream, especially because of its unique setting along the River Zwickau Mulde. Now the historic Waldcafé Bridge will become a memory.

The Waldcafé Bridge is a single span stone arch bridge with open spandrels resembling mini-arches. It was built in 1904 and has a total length of 60 meters and a width of 7 meters. The bridge carries State Highway 242. The bridge was recognized in the book Steinbrücken in Deutschland (Stone Bridges in Germany), which has a short summary on the historic structure. It was also listed as a technical monument by the Saxony Ministry for the Protection of Historic and Cultural Places (Denkmalschutz).

Workers are prepping for the removal of the historic bridge and replacing it with a more modern structure. After installing a temporary footbridge over the river, the bridge will fall victim to the diggers. The project to replace the span will last from now until the end of November, pending on the situation with the weather and the Corona Virus. The footbridge will provide direct access to the Waldcafé from the parking area on the southern end of the bridge, which will be a relief for business owners who had already taken a hit from the loss of customers because of Covid-19 but also the cyclists who otherwise would have been forced to detour via Lunzenau or Wechselberg. The cost for the whole project is estimated to be at approximately 220,000 Euros.

When work on the new bridge is finished, tourists and commuters will see a modern bridge that is wider and safer for use. Yet its historic flavor will be missed, Especially if one sees the new structure from the viaduct.

BHC Newsflyer: 17 April 2020

Phelps Mill Bridge in Otter Tail County, MN: Photo taken by Jake Lennington

To listen to the podcast, click on the link here: https://anchor.fm/jason-smith-bhc19/episodes/BHC-Newsflyer-17-April-2020-ect4hb

Headlines:

Kern Bowstring Arch Bridge Has (Possible) New Home in Fergus Falls

Article on the Move: https://pelicanrapidspress.com/2020/04/15/historic-1873-built-bridge-may-find-home-on-fergus-falls-riverfront/?login=required

Bridge Information: Longest Bowstring Arch Bridge in the USA Removed

Photo taken in 2009

3rd Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis to be Rehabilitated

Article on the Rehabilitation: https://www.startribune.com/third-avenue-bridge-in-mpls-to-get-first-major-overhaul-in-40-years/569660062/

Article on the Project (Finley): https://finleyengineeringgroup.com/3rd-ave-bridge-rehabilitation-underway/

Information on the Bridge: http://bridgehunter.com/mn/hennepin/2440/

Kassberg Bridge. Photo taken in 2017

Kassberg Bridge in Chemnitz Reopens After 2-year Restoration

Article on the Rehabilitation (D): https://www.blick.de/chemnitz/bierbruecke-ist-fertig-kassbergauffahrt-wieder-freigeben-artikel10773443

Information on the Bridge: https://www.brueckenweb.de/2content/datenbank/bruecken/3brueckenblatt.php?bas=76243

Historic Bridge in Halsbrücke to be Removed

Article on the Removal: https://www.freiepresse.de/mittelsachsen/freiberg/abriss-der-bruecke-hat-begonnen-artikel10774141

Amrutanjan Viaduct in India Imploded

Article on the demolition: Amrutanjan Bridge Demolished

Champlain Bridge before its replacement bridge. Photo: UncivilFire / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Team Selected for Champlain Bridge Removal in Montreal

Information on the Bridge Removal: https://www.bridgeweb.com/Team-picked-for-removal-of-old-Champlain-Bridge–/7215

Information on the Champlain Bridge (old): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champlain_Bridge,_Montreal_(1962%E2%80%932019)

Work Commences to Finish Sixaola Bridge Project

Information on project: https://news.co.cr/bridge-connecting-panama-and-costa-rica-shows-56-advance/80470/

Covid Update: https://www.bridgeweb.com/COVID-19-Bridge-industry-updates/7235

Photo taken by John Phelan (NPS)

Art Competition for Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge:

Article: https://www.recorder.com/Art-contest-to-benefit-Colrain-Historical-Society-Central-School-33700464

Information on the Bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_A._Smith_Covered_Bridge

Amrutanjan Bridge Demolished

189-year old arch viaduct from the British era imploded.

LONAVALA, INDIA- A piece of history from the British era in India has fallen. Crews of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) brought down the Amrutanjan Bridge on April 7th, using explosives.It took no more than 10 seconds for the eight arches to come down in sequential order, as seen in the video above. Construction of the brick arch bridge started in 1829 and was completed less than a year later in November 1830. It is unknown who had directed the construction of the viaduct. The bridge was over 300 meters long and 20 meters high. The viaduct was integrated into the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in 2002, but was put out of service a decade later.

The viaduct became a traveller’s worst nightmare with as many as 15-20 traffic jams stretching for dozens of kilometers were reported per month, due to its narrowness. Furthermore, accidents were reported on and at the viaduct with many people photographing the bridge and the scenery at Khandala Ghat, a heavily forested region in western India.

The Raigad District Collector provided the MSRDC the green light to proceed with the demolition, taking advantage of the Indian government’s Corona Virus lockdown order that is currently in place through May 3rd. It had been slated on the condemnation list since 2017 because of its deteriorating state. Nevertheless, there are still countless of ancient structures left belonging to the former British colony that had ruled India until its independence in 1948.

BHC Newsflyer: April 10, 2020

Heiligborn Viaduct in Waldheim (Saxony), Germany. Photo taken in 2018

To listen to the podcast, click onto the link: https://anchor.fm/jason-smith-bhc19/episodes/BHC-Newsflyer-10-April-2020-eclf2j

Headlines:

Railroad Bridge north of Basel (Switzerland) Collapses- One Dead

Information on the incident: https://www.brueckenweb.de/2content/datenbank/bruecken/3brueckenblatt.php?bas=97327

A10 Bridge in Tuscany Region. Photo by Frank Selke

Century Old Bridge in Italy Collapses- Minor Casualties

Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52213898

Bridge info: https://www.brueckenweb.de/2content/datenbank/bruecken/3brueckenblatt.php?bas=86926

Spencerville Covered Bridge Recognized as State’s Favorite

Article: https://www.kpcnews.com/thestar/article_90e3aec5-2039-51c9-8f97-6ff9ebf11b70.html

Bridge Information: https://bridgehunter.com/in/de-kalb/spencerville/

Bridge Street Bridge in Gardiner. Photo taken by Brian Bartlett

Gardiner Bridge Project Delayed Due to Corona Virus

Article: https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/04/07/gardiner-bridge-replacement-project-delayed/#

Info on the Project: https://reed-reed.com/gardiner-maine-bridges/

Bridge Info: https://bridgehunter.com/me/kennebec/bh59101/

Finlay Bridge in Medicine Hat (Alberta), Canada. Photo by Bryan Leitch / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Finlay Bridge in Medicine Hat (Alberta), Canada to be Rehabilitated

Article: https://chatnewstoday.ca/2020/04/06/city-planning-rehabilitation-of-finlay-bridge/

Bridge Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlay_Bridge

Bothell Bridge. Photo taken by John Gateley

Bothell Wooden Truss Bridge to be Replaced

Info on Bridge Project: http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/487/Park-at-Bothell-Landing-Pedestrian-Bridg?fbclid=IwAR1udFEhVnOu6xcG1RsNJNY_MY39J5H3TvrxCwgwSIHX6wk_QjncTI2A8lg

Tour Guide on the Bridges of Waldheim (Saxony), Germany

Tour Guide: The Bridges of Waldheim (Saxony), Germany

BHC Newsflyer: 3 April, 2020

Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, MA: Photo by FFM784 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

To Listen to the Podcast, click onto the link here: https://anchor.fm/jason-smith-bhc19/episodes/BHC-Newsflyer-3-April-2020-ecb9bu

Headlines:

Pennsylvania Recommences Emergency Projects Despite Statewide Lockdown

Link: https://local21news.com/news/local/penndot-restarts-critical-highway-and-bridge-projects

Information on Lockdown: https://local21news.com/news/local/gov-tom-wolf-places-all-of-pennsylvania-under-an-order-to-stay-at-home

Merger of the Thruway and Bridge Authorities in New York Fails

Link: https://www.hudsonvalley360.com/news/greenecounty/thruway-bridge-authority-merger-defeated/article_27b45008-7a2d-52aa-a6ca-acc912bddb06.html

Bayonne Bridge Receives Prestigious Award by ASCE

Link: https://www.worldhighways.com/wh10/news/award-bayonne-bridge-project-us

Bridge Information: http://bridgehunter.com/nj/hudson/bayonne/

Virus Delays Rehabilitation Project at Winnington Swing Bridge

Link: https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/18350450.coronavirus-delays-winnington-swing-bridge-repairs-for-months/

Information on the Bridge: http://wikimapia.org/31962829/Winnington-Swing-Bridge-River-Weaver-Navigation

Virus Delays Work on Bettendorf Bridge Replacement Project

I-74 Bridge Project: https://i74riverbridge.com/

Bridge of Flowers Closed due to Corona.

Link to website: www.bridgeofflowersmass.org

Smith Road Bridge Relocated to New Home

Article: https://www.channel3000.com/this-wisconsin-bridge-is-the-same-age-as-the-titanic-how-a-family-is-working-to-preserve-it-after-its-removal/

Information on the Bridge: http://bridgehunter.com/wi/rock/P53015300000000/

Schlunzig Cable-Stayed Bridge Project Delayed because of Corona

Article: https://www.freiepresse.de/zwickau/werdau/ziel-bruecken-sollen-in-diesem-jahr-fertig-werden-artikel10764020

BHC Newsflyer: 20 March, 2020

Padma Bridge in Bangladesh: One of many bridge projects on hold due to the Corona Virus. Photo taken by Afzalhossainbd / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)