Bridge collapse forcing detours in northern Ontario

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LATCHFORD, Ont. — Truckers taking the northern route to the West are being forced to detour following a Hwy. 11 bridge collapse yesterday that could mean detours will be in place for several months.

The Sergeant Aubrey Cosens Memorial Bridge over the Montreal River collapsed when three poles that connect the bridge deck to the cantilever, popped out shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday. It’s believed that recent -30 C deep-freeze temperatures are the culprit.

The bridge, named after a World War II Victoria Cross winner, is on Hwy. 11 about 135 km north of North Bay. The collapse means traffic on Hwy. 11 between North Bay and New Liskeard will have to detour through Quebec.

The MTO is assessing the severity of damage to the bridge and investigating putting in a temporary bridge while repairs are made. A ministry spokesperson says repairs could take up to a year.

In the meantime, the MTO is suggesting these detours:

From Ottawa: Hwy. 533 or 63 to Quebec Hwy 101, then Hwy. 65 to New Liskeard
From Toronto: Hwy. 400 to Hwy. 69 to Hwy. 144
From North Bay: Hwy. 63 to Quebec Hwy. 101 to Hwy. 65
From Thunder Bay, Kapuskasing, Hearst and other points: Hwy. 655 South, then Hwy 144 to Hwy. 69 to Hwy. 400 South.

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  • 1300 trucks per day, carrying 100 million dollars in goods. This should never have happened. The Liberal Government mis-manages everything they touch. I wouldn’t be surprised if their answer is to simply cancel all manufacturing in Ontario, so that we won’t need the bridge. Oh…wait….they’ve already done that!