www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 10, 2007 - 9 Bridge demolished Sunday By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF CABINET REFACING AFTER after Anyone hearing strange noises early Sunday morning need not be alarmed as it is probably just the sound of the Forth Line bridge collapsing. The bridge over the QEW is being demolished by the Ministry of Transportation to make way for a new bridge that will support an improved Forth Line roadway with pedestrian and cycling facilities as well as additional lanes for traffic and transit. The bridge will also be built to accommodate a widened QEW. "They're going to demolish the bridge with backhoes equipped with hoe ram (jackhammer) attachments," said Enrico Scalera, Manager of Design and Construction, Town of Oakville. "They'll have a couple on either side of the bridge and they'll just chip away at it and break it down with that process." Prior to the beginning of construction, Scalera noted, precautions will be taken to ensure that the QEW is not damaged by falling debris or the treads of the heavy equipment being used. "They'll either put a gravel bed or sand bed down on the surface of the QEW, which will be a few feet thick, in order to protect the asphalt pavement. Once the bridge is down they can quickly scrape it off, clean the road and open it up to traffic as soon as possible," he said. As the QEW is a major artery between Toronto and the rest of the GTA, speed in the completion of the demolition is vital. Scalera is confident the allotted time, where the QEW will be closed on Saturday from 11:45 p.m. to 9:15 a.m. from Third Line to Dorval Drive (including the off-ramp Westbound to Kerr Street), is all the demolition crew will need. "This isn't the first bridge where they've undertaken this process," said Scalera. "Just locally they demolished the old Royal Windsor overpass using a similar format. To the east of us the Southdown overpass was demolished in a similar way and the Guelph Line overpass was demolished in a similar way also." As the demolition takes place traffic will be diverted to a detour route via Dorval Drive, North Service Road, South Service Road/Wyecroft Road and Third Line. While the detour will take the QEW traffic through a largely industrialized section of town, the increased traffic volume will come close to residential areas as the traffic North of the QEW turns onto Third Line and Dorval Drive. In light of this Scalera says everything possible is being done to make the experience a painless one for all concerned. "We've tried to mitigate the amount of traffic by putting lots of advanced notice out there. We've requested and the ministry has accommodated to making sure the QEW closure is mentioned on their traffic management system, so the overhead signs in Mississauga, the 403 and Burlington will give people plenty of advanced notice to get off the QEW early," he said. "The first two hours will be the when we see the most significant traffic as it becomes detoured along from the QEW and over to the service roads." As the demolition is taking place in a largely industrialized area MTO spokesperson Will MacKenzie does not expect the noise to disturb residential areas. before BEFORE 2 LOCATIONS: COMING DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR IN 2008 Healthy Aging Health information for you and your family Register now to receive complimentary Forever Young Healthy Aging publications, providing information exclusively on health issues that affect you and your family. Please indicate which topics are of interest to you: Heart & Stroke/Cardiovascular - February Mental Health/Depression - May Arthritis Pain Management - September Diabetes - November Healthy Aging Mental St Cuthberts Anglican Church 1541 Oakhill Dr. (off Maple Grove) 6:00am, 9:30am, 6:00pm River Oaks Community Church 2435 Munn's Avenue East 6:00am, 7:15am Health & Depression Classes start Monday, Nov. 12 Oakville's Original Boot Camp Healthy Aging Diabetes ealthy ging Cardiovascul ar Care INDOOR & OUTDOOR FITNESS TOTAL BODY CONDITIONING H To receive your edition(s), complete the form below and return by fax 905-337-5571 or mail to the following address by December 31/2007: Forever Young Healthy Aging 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON L6K 3S4 Register online for the Healthy Aging Forum at www.foreveryoungnews.com Please provide the following information: 1 hour a day / 3 or 5 days a week / 4 weeks Arthritis & Management Pain Enlist today! Register online at www.survivorbootcamp.com or call 1 877 BOOTCMP (1.877.266.8267) Franchises Available! Name:_____________________________________________________________ Mailing Address:_____________________________________________________ Postal code:__________________________________Age:____________________ Is this information for ___you or___ someone else? For advertising information call 905-815-0017, ext 421 Small Class Sizes Ensure Guaranteed Results.