Main Street Bridge

Main Street Bridge. . , Wooden bridges 1819, 1832, 1834, 1840, 1854, 1857, 1867 , Steel bridge 1878 , Concrete bowstring arch bridge 1931 , Restoration 2008, Spanning the Generations , Since the early days of settlement along the banks of the Grand River and its tributaries, bridges have been important focal points for communities. Our significant heritage bridges have become distinctive landmarks that contribute to a strong sense of place. These links to our past span the generations as well as our waterways., The future of our bridges cannot be taken for granted as the ravages of time take their toll. The challenge for our generation is to maintain their symbolic as well as their functional integrity., Bridge Design , The Main Street Bridge is a two-span concrete bowstring bridge. The 58.22 metre bridge is a reinforced concrete version of a contoured steel truss bridge. The bridge abutments and pier are built solidly on limestone bedrock. This type of bridge was designed to carry heavy trathc and became more common with the increasing popularity of the automobile., Bridge History , The Main Street Bridge was built in 1931 during the Great Depression. The Provincial government encouraged public works programs during this period, paying two-thirds of the total cost of the bridge. The design was provided to the City of Galt at no cost by Archie B. Crealock who was the bridge engineer for the Province of Ontario during the l920s. In addition to the Main street bridge, Crealock designed other bridges in the Waterloo Region including the Parkhill and Freeport Bridges. To pay its share, the City borrowed by selling municipal debentures and passed by-laws to cover the remaining cost of the bridge. In addition, Albert Brown, a local jeweller, helped to raise funds by selling tickets to "buy a brick" for the new bridge., The W. H. Yates Construction Co. Ltd's tender was accepted to build the bridge at a cost of $52,000. It was the lowest of the 14 tenders received. The workmen were paid 40 cents an hour. The bridge was opened in December of 1931, due in part to the local merchants who petitioned the City to open the bridge early for the Christmas trade., Restoration , The bridge has been resurfaced and repaired since 1931, but without significant modifications. In 2008 and 2009, major work was undertaken to replace the entire bridge deck and railings, and refurbish the concrete arches at a cost of $1.9 million , The Main Street Bridge Crossing , This location is one of the oldest Grand River crossings in Waterloo Region. The first bridge was a wooden structure built in 1819 by Absalom Shade beside his store on Water Street. The bridge was called Dickson's Bridge after William Dickson who had contributed £800 towards the £2.000 cost of construction. The bridge contributed to the early development of Shade's Mill (later Galt and now Cambridge) by linking the east and west sides or the river., Floods, Floods and More Floods , Floods plagued the Grand River. The first bridge was washed out in 1832 and was replaced with another wooden bridge that was washed out in 1834. Additional replacement bridges were required in 1840, 1854 and 1857. In 1866, the west end of the bridge began to sag and the "unstable bridge was replaced in 1867 at a cost of $1,300. only to be washed out again in 1878., On Dec. 31, 1878, a new steel bridge built by the Hamilton Bridge and Tool Company for $4,370 was officially opened. The bridge was damaged by floods in 1898 and 1918, but remained standing. This strong but "not particularly handsome” bridge was replaced with the current bridge in 1931. The concrete arch bridge withstood Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and a severe flood in 1974. In 1978, the Living Levee, a combination of riverbank walkways and concrete flood walls, was constructed to help protect against future floods., Linking East and West , The Main Street Bridge has long been the link between the historic commercial district located on the east side of the river and the many community landmarks on the west side of the river., On the east side stands the former Banker's Corner (also known as Four Banks Comer), Carnegie Library (1903) and Galt Post Office (1885). On the west side is Queen's Square, which was laid out as a community focal point by William Dickson in 1835. There are several churches and monuments located at Queen's Square, including the Crimean War cannon, Cenotaph, Wrens monument and Portuguese monument. This area was the former location of the kings Arms Hotel (1835), YMCA (1913), Galt Curling Club (1887) and Scott's Opera House (1899). , Concrete Bowstring Arch Bridge 1931 , Designer: Archie B. Crealock , Construction: W. H. Yates Construction Co. Ltd. , Total cost of the bridge: $52,000 , Region of Waterloo,