The Duchesnay Creek Bridge, which is listed as an Ontario Heritage Bridge, will be replaced this year due to its deteriorating condition per the North Bay Nugget. This bridge replacement is part of a multi-million dollar construction project that is scheduled for Highway 17B.
"The bridge was originally built in 1937 with timber components. Due to the age and condition of this bridge it is scheduled to be replaced starting in 2019, subject to approvals. The new bridge will be replaced with partial timber components to maintain the heritage values."
Communications services coordinator for NE Region Ministry of Transportation | Carole Paiement
A structural inspection on the Duchesnay Creek Bridge will be completed this week.
Unfortunately, this will require full road closure each day from 6 am to 6 pm. However, a short detour will be available via Highway 17. Services to the City of North Bay bus stop on Couchie Memorial Drive will be affected by the road closure. The ministry will be offering shuttle services to and from the bus stop during this closure.
According to My North Bay Now, the structural inspection will help the MTO determine the kind of load the bridge can handle until it's replaced.
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Per the Historic Bridges.org website, the main span length of the bridge is 108.3 feet and the structure length is 256 feet. Timber trusses, especially those which are not covered bridges are rare. Even more rare are timber deck truss bridges, of which this bridge is such a great example. The bridge appears to retain good historic integrity. The timber floor beams and brackets have interesting carved details giving the bridge some architectural detail. Despite the significance of this bridge, it was not enough to save the bridge from demolition and replacement.
According to The Kings Highway, the Duchesnay Creek Bridge offers a rare view into the past, where 1930's-era road builders often preferred timber bridge construction in the northern parts of Ontario. The components of these timber bridges could be transported to a proposed bridge site easily and then assembled, rather than continually hauling large volumes of concrete from construction plants many miles away.
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