Waterloo Region Connected
Margaret Ave Bridge - Printable Version

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Margaret Ave Bridge - panamaniac - 10-21-2014

From today's e-Record:

Margaret Ave. bridge construction starts Monday



Construction on the new Margaret Avenue Bridge is set to begin on Monday according to the City of Kitchener. The work is expected to be completed by July 2015 and there will be access to all businesses in the area during this time. The bridge was closed in June 2013 after it was deemed unsafe.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - The85 - 10-26-2014

One thing that has always puzzled me on this is that the Margaret Avenue bridge was rehabilitated in 2003 (according to this date stamp on the bridge railing - https://maps.google.ca/maps?ll=43.427492,-80.448761&spn=0.508646,1.203003&cbll=43.457575,-80.489916&layer=c&panoid=-9hpXmdlJbf1UYu_-1a21Q&cbp=12,177.16,,0,15.46&t=h&z=11).

Don't you think the City and their engineers would have flagged these design issues then? It wasn't that long ago, and all that money spent on the rehab is now gone and worthless.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - panamaniac - 10-26-2014

I don't think that the problem with the design was identified until after the bridge in Quebec collapsed a few years ago.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - Markster - 10-27-2014

I just learned something fascinating about the new bridge:

In this document

Quote:• GO Transit's position is that the currently proposed bridge opening (2-track option) is

sufficient to meet their needs now and for the expansion to two-way all-day GO train service.
A copy of GO Transit's February 18, 2014 correspondence is included in Appendix B. This
position was confirmed in correspondence dated April 21, 2014 and June 12, 2014. It was
re-confirmed in teleconference with City staff on July 23, 2014.
• In recent discussions, GO Transit sees the current opening as having potential for three (3)
tracks. This would be accomplished by relaxing standards for horizontal clearances and
accepting any related impact to operability of the trains under the bridge.

So the new 2-track bridge, with some relaxing of standards, would in fact allow 3-tracks in a pinch.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - JoeKW - 10-27-2014

Quote:This would be accomplished by relaxing standards for horizontal clearances and
accepting any related impact to operability of the trains under the bridge

Does that roughly mean that the trains would have to slow down a bit to go through it?

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - MacBerry - 10-27-2014

(10-27-2014, 05:36 PM)JoeKW Wrote:
Quote:This would be accomplished by relaxing standards for horizontal clearances and
accepting any related impact to operability of the trains under the bridge

Does that roughly mean that the trains would have to slow down a bit to go through it?

Kitchener bound trains would be slowing as they approach the Margaret Ave. bridge site because the old station is only <500 m away and the new station will be about 1 km from the bridge. The reverse is true leaving for the Toronto run. There are two signal regulated crossings between the bridge and the new station location and so a limited speed would be specified by GO or the federal transport regulator.

There are maximum speeds GO would consider appropriate in a station approach/leaving but I can't find them online.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - JoeKW - 10-27-2014

Right, I assumed that, but what does "and accepting any related impact to operability of the trains under the bridge" mean?

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - Markster - 10-28-2014

I suspect that there would be relatively technical limitations that us lay-people wouldn't quite get.

Potential problems I can imagine, from fitting 3 tracks under a 2-track bridge:
*) Less leeway for sway of the trains. This might limit kinds of cars allowed to pass at the bridge.
*) Rails may have a slight bend towards each other, to run under the bridge, limiting speed.
*) No buffer under bridge for derailment. Any derailment would likely hit the pier, and cause substantial damage.

These are entirely amateur guesses.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - isUsername - 05-27-2015

Snapped some photos today.

[Image: Q1FADOs.jpg]

[Image: 0mZCaM4.jpg]

[Image: ikzR2Kp.jpg]

[Image: gGH6Und.jpg]

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - panamaniac - 07-20-2015

A picture of the bridge from the Record showing the spans installed this past weekend.

[Image: 5z37zp.jpg]
David Bebee,Record staff

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - isUsername - 09-10-2015

New Margaret Ave. bridge slated to open October 2

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - Canard - 09-10-2015

That's great news! I drive by it almost daily and it is really coming along.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - Canard - 10-02-2015

Supposedly reopening today.

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - JCnb - 10-02-2015

(10-02-2015, 12:21 PM)Canard Wrote: Supposedly reopening today.

Opening at 2pm today!

RE: Margaret Ave Bridge - Markster - 10-03-2015

GRT said on Twitter that route 8 will resume its true routing Saturday!