16th Avenue Bailey bridge

[Lone Primate]

Some of you guys might not even know about this bridge, but I've had my eye on it for a while and its replacement is underway. It's on 16th Avenue in Markham at the extreme east end of town, just east of Reesor Road.

I made a point of getting some photos of it and some video of crossing it a few times in the 2000s, because I figured sooner or later they'd have to replace it. A couple of years ago I heard they'd be doing that. I was pleased to hear they'd decided to keep the little Bailey bridge for pedestrian and bike use, and I pictured it off the to the side, unnoticed by the higher vehicle traffic, but a nice fixture for the locals. I decided to go have a look at it again on the weekend and was surprised to find the work of replacing it in progress... as well as the strange arrangement of the new bridge pretty much right over top of the old. I can hardly wait to see what the ultimate configuration will look like when work is completed this fall (ostensibly).

Here are some shots approximating the same views from winter 2009 and summer 2010 with summer 2012. It's interesting to note that the wooden decking seems to have been replaced between winter 2009 and summer 2010.

 

[adma]

Wonder if Markham will re-use the bridge elsewhere (a public park, maybe?)--why not, Bailey bridges are heavy-duty, portable, and "cool heritage" at this point...

 

[Mustapha]

Fascinating series.

 

[Lone Primate]

Wonder if Markham will re-use the bridge elsewhere (a public park, maybe?)--why not, Bailey bridges are heavy-duty, portable, and "cool heritage" at this point...

As far as I know, they'll be leaving it in situ for local use. Just won't have much of a sky view anymore. But at least you'll be able to fish in the rain.

Edit: actually, I think you might be right. I found a note from May last year that says "The existing Bailey bridge will be preserved for future use in a Rouge Park trail
system." I think it would be a shame to move it; I was looking forward to the quirky little kick of an old country bridge under a new one. I have to say, thought, that looking at right now, it's kind of hard to imagine why they'd have left it there hanging in mid-air of no use even to construction vehicles, in the way of construction, only to be taken down later. That doesn't make sense to me; seems to me the first thing they'd have done would be to dismantle the Bailey bridge once its last use to the project was exhausted and before the approaches to it were removed. But hey, I'm no engineer. I guess I'll just have to visit the site every couple of weeks and see what they do.

 

[adma]

Well, this *is*, technically, within the Rouge Park network already, isn't it? Wouldn't be surprised if "future use" = in situ...

 

[Lone Primate]

Well, this *is*, technically, within the Rouge Park network already, isn't it? Wouldn't be surprised if "future use" = in situ...

I think you called it. I should follow all this up with later shots. The last time I was out there, a couple of summers back, yeah... that little bridge was just exactly where it has been since who-knows-when. It's a sharp drop-off on the east side, guarded by a fence. The whole thing is completely dominated and hidden from the sun by the much more substantial bridge above it. I've never seen the like.

 

[lenaitch]

I think one problem with re-using it would be an engineer would have to 're-spec' it. The various load properties of plates, connectors, etc. will not only have changed over the many years but also in the dismantling. When you think about it, the Bailey bridge was developed by the British during WWII as a temporary prefabricated structure that could be quickly assembled with minimal equipment and tools and some. like this, have lasted for decades. One drawback is the restricted width. I imagine many older ones were built from surplus DND stock.

 

[Lone Primate]

I think one problem with re-using it would be an engineer would have to 're-spec' it. The various load properties of plates, connectors, etc. will not only have changed over the many years but also in the dismantling. When you think about it, the Bailey bridge was developed by the British during WWII as a temporary prefabricated structure that could be quickly assembled with minimal equipment and tools and some. like this, have lasted for decades. One drawback is the restricted width. I imagine many older ones were built from surplus DND stock.

Another issue is that it's of a rather specific length, and wherever it were reassembled, it would have to be done at a point were the abutments could be placed at pretty much exactly that same width. I imagine such locations exist, but ones capable of getting the planets of length and utility to align must be pretty rare.