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Cull Drain bridge could collapse

The Cull Drain Bridge is a risk to public safety and should be removed immediately, an engineering report says. High winds could cause a partial or total collapse of the 104-year-old bridge, city hall said Aug. 1 after receiving the report.
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The Cull Drain Bridge in Brights Grove. Journal file photo

The Cull Drain Bridge is a risk to public safety and should be removed immediately, an engineering report says.

High winds could cause a partial or total collapse of the 104-year-old bridge, city hall said Aug. 1 after receiving the report.

Engineers found “significant deterioration” since prior inspections.

The bridge was fenced off two years ago after a structural report recommended its closure.

City hall said the barrier would be extended immediately to prevent people from going under the bridge, along with additional signs facing land and water warning of the potential collapse.

The scenic spot on old Lakeshore Road is popular with children, anglers, picnickers and boaters, and many people have walked under the bridge in recent weeks.

Families are urged to warn children against playing near the bridge.

City council was expected to meet this week to discuss the report and recommendation. Councillors were already pondering whether to repair or replace the bridge, which connects Old Lakeshore Road with a public right-of-way that lakefront landowners to the east have encroached upon over the past 40 years.

 - George Mathewson


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