East-end bridge could close if driver habits don’t change, says councillor

A bridge in Ottawa’s rural east end is in dire need of replacement and could deteriorate faster if large trucks don’t keep off it, according to the city.

The Sarsfield Road Bridge over the Bear Brook municipal drain is in critical condition and is scheduled to be replaced in 2025.

But the concern is that — although signs are in place telling drivers there’s a 10-tonne limit for trucks — not everyone is observing them.  

“Being in a rural community, there’s also agricultural vehicles that are sometimes very heavy,” said Coun. Catherine Kitts, who represents the ward of Orléans South-Navan. 

“So it was a route that was probably favoured by some of those larger vehicles, but we’ve made it clear that they need to be using an alternate route.”

If those drivers don’t heed the warning, Kitts said deteriorating conditions could compromise public safety and force the bridge to close prematurely. 

On Facebook, the councillor said Ottawa police will be patrolling the area at random intervals, and a camera will also be installed.

“It’s obviously on the radar of city staff,” Kitts said, following a committee meeting earlier this week. “They are monitoring it.”

The view from the bridge shows the water below.
The bridge in question is along Sarsfield Road. According to Coun. Catherine Kitts, the bridge is slated to be replaced next year, once the weather warms. (Joseph Tunney/CBC News)

‘You have to keep on going’

She said the weight restrictions were put in place last spring, and she hasn’t heard of people ignoring the signs since the recent warnings.

Yves Potvin, who lives nearby and runs a landscaping business, said he drives across the narrow bridge at least four times a day. His employees also rely on it for their daily commutes.

Potvin said the truck he was driving on Thursday morning is well below 10 tonnes, but other vehicles in his fleet are bigger and he’s unsure whether they exceed the limit.  

A man wearing a toque stands in front of his truck.
Yves Potvin lives and works nearby and says many of the big truck drivers likely don’t know there’s a weight limit until it’s too late. (Joseph Tunney/CBC News)

“They seem to be putting a lot of stress on the neighbouring surroundings for vehicles being overweight here,” he noted.

“And it’s just bizarre that it just happened all of a sudden, that no one picked up on it before.”

Potvin said that following the city’s most recent warning, those continuing to cross likely don’t live nearby.

“They’re not from around and they don’t know,” he said. “And then you’re trapped because you can’t turn around, so you have to keep on going.”

A man standing on a farm looks at the camera.
Willy Van den Hanenberg, who runs a dairy farm up the road, says better signage would go a long way to ensure big trucks don’t use the bridge. (Joseph Tunney/CBC)

Willy Van den Hanenberg, who runs a dairy farm just north of the bridge, said its closure would be “a headache or nuisance” for his operations. 

He said many drivers respect the signs, but said more signs on surrounding roads would go a long way. He echoed some of Potvin’s concerns that trucks get stuck on the dirt road. 

“You’ll get the odd truck here and there that will go over during the day, but then again — the signs are poorly placed,” he said. 

“If you’re driving a heavy truck, it’s a long backup from the bridge to the next corner.”

The city’s manager of water resource planning, Hiran Sandanayake, said an in an emailed statement the project is currently in the design stage and construction is set for 2025. 

“Staff are working with a third-party consultant to monitor the structural integrity of the bridge until construction starts,” Sandanayake wrote.

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