Ensuring the Touchette Bridge’s durability
The Nation Municipality, a small rural community in Ontario, aimed to rehabilitate the Touchette Bridge to ensure long-term functionality for the benefit of the local population, particularly the agricultural community.
The Touchette Bridge, a critical link across the South Nation River, was rapidly deteriorating, restricted to a 15-tonne load capacity, and threatening closure. With no alternative crossing within 25 km, closure would have disrupted agricultural operations, impacting efficiency and livelihoods. For local farmers, the bridge infrastructure was essential for connecting fields to markets and neighbors.
The municipality needed to restore the bridge’s load capacity and extend its service life by 25–30 years. Given the Municipality’s limited budget, they could not afford a complete replacement. Egis was tasked to develop a durable and cost-effective solution to ensure the bridge durability.
Innovative problem-solving and tailor-made bridge engineering
- The south abutment's inward shift required redesign to ensure the stability of the bridge.
- Leda clay soils added technical challenges to foundation stabilization.
- The pandemic increased material costs and logistical issues.
- Winter conditions required precise bridge planning for safety and work construction progress.
- The need to reopen the bridge as quickly as possible for the community added pressure to avoid delays.
