Causeway overhaul moving along

FORT FRANCES—Construction work on the Noden Causeway is moving along according to schedule, with the first phase—work on the 138-metre east low level portion—to completed by the end of October.
MTO regional director Larry Lambert said in an interview last week that since work began this spring, the existing asphalt pavement, expansion joints, and concrete barrier walls have been removed.
As well, the concrete deck was scarified on the eastbound lane of the east low level structure.
Initial concrete work was completed July 21 to provide a precisely sloped surface for pre-cast concrete deck panels, Lambert added.
“This is an innovative approach whereby the pre-cast panels are being ‘glued’ on top of the existing deck, eliminating the more expensive and time-consuming process of conventional deck removal and asphalt paving,” he noted.
Minor repairs to the sub-structure also are underway.
Prior to the end of October, the pre-cast concrete deck panels will be installed on the eastbound lane of the bridge.
Traffic then will be shifted over to the eastbound lane, and the same upgrading work will be done to the westbound lane of the bridge, said Lambert.
He noted repairs over the next four years will entail deck and superstructure reconstruction of the 552-metre long west low level structure and the 614-metre long high level structure.
The work will be similar to that being carried this year on the east low level structure, with a new widened deck as well as replacement of the existing barrier wall with an open steel railing system.
Work also will include repairs to the 1,100 steel piles that support the three structures to address corrosion below the waterline. The repair will utilize a unique polymer collaring system that will encapsulate the corroded portion of the pile.
As previously reported, the provincial government committed to reconstruct the entire Noden Causeway over the next five years.
Advancing highway infrastructure is an integral part of the Northern Prosperity Plan—a plan the provincial government has set in motion that has woven together a comprehensive range of provincial initiatives in the north to drive job creation, economic growth, and competitiveness.
Work on the Noden Causeway first began in 1958 and it was opened in 1965.
It was rehabilitated in the 1980s with new barrier walls and joints. But in recent years, the causeway has demonstrated drainage problems, as well as poor pavement and joint conditions.
(Fort Frances Times)