Three remaining concrete piers of the Seaway International Bridge that towered over the St. Lawrence River between Canada and the U.S. at Cornwall for almost 60 years are being prepared for demolition. The in-water piers — the tallest being 120 feet — will be taken down by Oakville-based Bronte Construction starting shortly as the final stage of the landmark crossing’s demolition which commenced in 2014.
Using barges in the river, Bronte Construction will set up secured scaffolding platforms around each concrete pier — which has footings of about 26 by 46-feet. The contractor will then commence cutting down each reinforced concrete pier piece by piece, says Matthew Karabela, project manager, Bronte.
Tarps will surround the scaffolding “to catch all the fallout so nothing ends up in the environment,” he says.
The $5 million contract was scheduled to start in April or May, depending on weather and ice. The contract is slated for completion by the end of 2019 “before the weather turns foul in the winter,” says Todd Kealey, director of communications marketing and government relations, The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL), the bridge’s owner.
Kealey says the current in the river is “very strong” and could impact demolition. During a previous contract, a barge “tipped sideways” because of the fast-moving river. “One edge was in the water and the other was high above it.”
“They (Bronte) are taking a lot of care to make sure everything they do is stable, safe and solid.”
Kealey says the concrete and other demolition debris is recyclable. “They will actually allow community members to take some away as souvenirs.”
He says because the bridge has been in place for so long, an eco-system has developed around each pier foundation. “We’re choosing to leave the footings of those piers in the water because the local wildlife has adapted to their presence. They have created a shelter for the fish.”
Demolition commenced on other portions of the bridge — including the vehicle deck — in 2014.
Kealey says the final demolition contract presents challenges unlike the other contracts because they are the only piers of the bridge that were built in the river. Two 160-foot-tall land-based piers were removed a few years ago.
A fourth pier situated in a canal near Cornwall was remediated and now serves as a scenic lookout for the public but FBCL ruled out remediation of the last three piers because of economics.
“The goal here is to preserve as much history as we can but we don’t want things (concrete) falling on our new bridge or falling onto others (boats in the river).”
While the three piers are sound today, Kealey says their deterioration is inevitable.
He says the project is unusual for FBCL, a Crown Corporation, which normally focuses on maintenance and preservation of the four crossings it operates, including the Canadian side of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge to Michigan, the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia and the Thousand Islands Bridge, also on the St. Lawrence River.
Originally constructed in 1958, the Seaway International Bridge actually consisted of two bridges — one from Cornwall to Cornwall Island and the second from the island to New York state. The new Seaway International Crossing opened in 2014.
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