Work will be done on three train bridges in Guelph this year, as Metrolinx prepares them to handle the increase in traffic that will come with eventual two-way, all-day GO service.
“It’s definitely an important piece of the puzzle. Without these upgrades, these bridges just aren’t up to the task of managing the increase in train traffic,” Metrolinx spokesperson Scott Money said of the planned upgrades.
“These are old bridges and if you’re going to be running more frequent trains on them that weigh hundreds of tons, you’re going to need those bridges up to snuff and … still have that look and feel that the people of Guelph want for their downtown.”
The Speed River bridge east of Guelph Central Station will be replaced in phases, taking place during select overnight weekends beginning in July, with rehabilitation efforts planned for the Norfolk Street and Wilson Street bridges getting underway this autumn.
Crews are expected to begin preparing the Speed River bridge site and conducting surveys in the area as of Monday, with work set to start July 3 and July 4 and continue on weekends throughout the month, as well as weekends between Sept. 11 and Nov. 7.
Track work is slated for overnight on weekends so as not to conflict with other track users, Money explained.
“We share the tracks in that area,” he said, referring to CN freight trains and VIA Rail passenger service.
Area residents can expect to hear noise from heavy machinery and equipment near the tracks.
Some July road closures may be required while the bridge spans and supports are removed and replaced, though a schedule of those closures isn’t yet set. Details will be made public as the work dates near, notes a post on the Metrolinx website.
Road closures between Elizabeth and Wellington streets, including Macdonell Street, are expected during the fall.
Additional work on the Speed River bridge includes masonry repairs and structural capacity upgrades. It’s anticipated those efforts will take about a year to complete.
The next set of bridge upgrades are slated to begin this fall, with replacement of the Wilson Street bridge, built in 1902, as well as steel repairs, waterproofing, sandblasting and painting of the Norfolk Street bridge.
“It’s a huge project,” Money said of preparing the track for the eventual implementation of two-way, all-day GO trains. “We’re doing as many upgrades as we can along the line, the entire line, and then also working with our train partners to make sure the infrastructure is where it needs to be and (upgrade projects are) coordinated so that everybody can be happy and we can run more service for people.
“You’ll see continued incremental increases to service.”