Posted with permission from the Hamilton Spectator
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Work will focus on aging electrical systems
BURLINGTON The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge will undergo upgrades to keep it lifting.
Burlington MP Mike Wallace announced the bridge work Tuesday as part of $250 million added by Ottawa to a program to fix bridges, dams and canals across Canada.
The work will focus on the bridge's major electrical systems, which Ottawa says is nearing the end of their service life. They date from 1961.
“It's 50 years old, the mechanical system, and it just seemed to need more and more maintenance,” said Wallace after he made his announcement at the bridge on Beach Boulevard.
The four-lane lift bridge, completed in 1962, spans the Burlington Bay Canal, which connects Lake Ontario with the Port of Hamilton. The structure operates more than 4,000 times a year so that ships can pass through the canal and service such industries as the U.S. Steel plant and ArcelorMittal Dofasco. It is also used by thousand of commuters each day and is a designated emergency route in case of trouble on the nearby QEW and Skyway.
Wallace wouldn't say how much it might cost to upgrade the bridge so as not to influence the tendering process. The Ministry of Public Works will put it out for design work this spring and then a contractor will be sought to do the work in 2014. Wallace said the work will be done during the winter months when the shipping season has shutdown. The project is expected to be finished by June 2015.
Wallace said the project is vital to maintain service in the bay.
“If something happened during the peak season, it would shut down steel production in the bay,” he said. “The economic engine that we're trying to get going and keep going — steel plays a fundamental role in that. Getting the raw materials in here and getting the steel out is key ... The money happens to be there right now for roads, dams and bridges, so we're moving quickly on it.”
dnolan@thespec.com
905-526-3351 | @dandundas
— With files from Metroland News
After more than 50 years of ensuring ships move freely into Burlington Bay (Hamilton Harbour), the federal government has decided it’s time to change the aging components in the Burlington Lift Bridge.
The bridge is still using its original components from 1961. The multi-tonne structure operates more than 4,000 times a year as ships pass through the canal and in and out of the bay.
On Tuesday, Burlington MP Mike Wallace, representing Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose, was on hand at the lift bridge site on Beach Boulevard to announce the bridge will get the new components within the next three years.
The tendering process will begin in the spring and the work is expected to start this fall. It will take place only when the bridge is in shutdown mode meaning it will take place over the course of several years.
The work is to be wrapped up by 2015.
Wallace couldn’t provide a price tag for the job nor did he have figures for how many workers would be employed to carry out the modernization. However, the MP did say the project is vital to maintain service in the bay.
“If something happened during the peak season, it would shut down steel production in the bay. The economic engine that we’re trying to get going and keep going – steel plays a fundamental role in that. Getting the raw materials in here and getting the steel out is key.
“It’s going to take a couple of years to fix, based on when the bridge is down... The money happens to be there right now for roads, dams and bridges, so we’re moving quickly on it,” said Wallace.
The lift bridge is part of a wider cross-Canada announcement by the federal government that involves $320-million in capital investments over the next five years.
Metroland News
__________________________________________
Work will focus on aging electrical systems
BURLINGTON The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge will undergo upgrades to keep it lifting.
Burlington MP Mike Wallace announced the bridge work Tuesday as part of $250 million added by Ottawa to a program to fix bridges, dams and canals across Canada.
The work will focus on the bridge's major electrical systems, which Ottawa says is nearing the end of their service life. They date from 1961.
“It's 50 years old, the mechanical system, and it just seemed to need more and more maintenance,” said Wallace after he made his announcement at the bridge on Beach Boulevard.
The four-lane lift bridge, completed in 1962, spans the Burlington Bay Canal, which connects Lake Ontario with the Port of Hamilton. The structure operates more than 4,000 times a year so that ships can pass through the canal and service such industries as the U.S. Steel plant and ArcelorMittal Dofasco. It is also used by thousand of commuters each day and is a designated emergency route in case of trouble on the nearby QEW and Skyway.
Wallace wouldn't say how much it might cost to upgrade the bridge so as not to influence the tendering process. The Ministry of Public Works will put it out for design work this spring and then a contractor will be sought to do the work in 2014. Wallace said the work will be done during the winter months when the shipping season has shutdown. The project is expected to be finished by June 2015.
Wallace said the project is vital to maintain service in the bay.
“If something happened during the peak season, it would shut down steel production in the bay,” he said. “The economic engine that we're trying to get going and keep going — steel plays a fundamental role in that. Getting the raw materials in here and getting the steel out is key ... The money happens to be there right now for roads, dams and bridges, so we're moving quickly on it.”
dnolan@thespec.com
905-526-3351 | @dandundas
— With files from Metroland News
After more than 50 years of ensuring ships move freely into Burlington Bay (Hamilton Harbour), the federal government has decided it’s time to change the aging components in the Burlington Lift Bridge.
The bridge is still using its original components from 1961. The multi-tonne structure operates more than 4,000 times a year as ships pass through the canal and in and out of the bay.
On Tuesday, Burlington MP Mike Wallace, representing Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose, was on hand at the lift bridge site on Beach Boulevard to announce the bridge will get the new components within the next three years.
The tendering process will begin in the spring and the work is expected to start this fall. It will take place only when the bridge is in shutdown mode meaning it will take place over the course of several years.
The work is to be wrapped up by 2015.
Wallace couldn’t provide a price tag for the job nor did he have figures for how many workers would be employed to carry out the modernization. However, the MP did say the project is vital to maintain service in the bay.
“If something happened during the peak season, it would shut down steel production in the bay. The economic engine that we’re trying to get going and keep going – steel plays a fundamental role in that. Getting the raw materials in here and getting the steel out is key.
“It’s going to take a couple of years to fix, based on when the bridge is down... The money happens to be there right now for roads, dams and bridges, so we’re moving quickly on it,” said Wallace.
The lift bridge is part of a wider cross-Canada announcement by the federal government that involves $320-million in capital investments over the next five years.
Metroland News