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22 February 2008

T'Railway inspections completed; some bridges closed and re-opened over space of one to two days

The provincial environment department has finished inspections of 125 bridges and trestles along the former railway line and a number are closed until further notice.

Closed are:

  1. Glide Brook
  2. Middle Brook
  3. Barry Brook
  4. Fischells Brook
  5. Robinsons River East
  6. Robinsons River West
  7. Flat Bay
  8. Morris Brook
  9. Codroy North

Mary Anne Brook and Black Duck Brook, closed earlier in the week are being re-opened.

Morris Brook was identified by Transport Canada inspectors as "gone', meaning the bridge had collapsed or been removed.

Glide Brook was previously identified by the province as having passed inspection.

Here's a comparison of the final provincial list and the 18 bridges identified by Transport Canada:

Serial

EnvCon

Transport Canada

Comments

1.

Robinson River East

Robinson River East

Closed by EnvCon

2.

Robinson River West

Closed by EnvCon

3.

Glide Brook

Closed by EnvCon, despite previously being inspected and cleared

4.

Middle Brook

Middle Brook

Closed by EnvCon

5.

Barry Brook

Barry Brook

Closed by EnvCon

6.

Fischells Brook

Fischells Brook

Closed by EnvCon

7.

Flat Bay

Closed by EnvCon

8.

Morris Brook

Morris Brook

Closed by EnvCon

Noted as "gone" by TC

9.

Codroy Branch North

Codroy Branch North

Closed by EnvCon

TC concerns on pipes and abutment;  opened by EnvCon

10.

Codroy Branch South

Opened by EnvCon

11.

Little River

Opened by EnvCon

12.

Bear Cove (Old Bridge)

Opened by EnvCon

13.

Robaires River East

Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08

Opened by EnvCon, 20 Feb 08

14.

Howley River

Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08

Opened by EnvCon, 20 Feb 08

15.

Mary Ann Brook

Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08

Opened by EnvCon, 22 Feb 08

16.

North Brook

Opened by EnvCon

17.

Robinson Brook East

Opened by EnvCon

18.

Main East

Opened by EnvCon

19.

Journis Brook

Opened by EnvCon

20.

Eel Brook -

TC- deck gone

Opened by EnvCon

21.

Wolfe Brook –

TC- abutments

Opened by EnvCon

22.

Black Duck Brook

 

Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08
Opened by EnvCon, 22 Feb 08

23.

 

Seal Cove-Indian Pond

Demolished by EnvCon following contact by TC, based on public complaint, summer 2007

24.

Stephenville Main Gut

  Closed by provincial government, November 2006

 

The provincial government has not provided a clear reconciliation between the two and the series of releases this week have been confusing.  For example, the list of closed bridges issued on 22 February lists closed bridges in two different places.  Some bridges have been announced as closed by engineering inspection only to have the same bridges cleared and re-opened a day or two later by a "further assessment".

No explanation has been offered by the provincial government of the changes in engineering assessment of some structures over the space of one or two days.

At the same time, Transport Canada's list erroneously refers to Monis Brook, when it is actually Morris Brook.  TC's list also refers to Robinsons River East and Robinsons Brook East.

The provincial environment department still has to respond to Transport Canada's letter of 11 February which requested an action plan to deal with the 18 bridges it identified as being hazardous.  A Transport Canada spokesman told CBC Radio on Thursday that for some structures a signed clearance by a structural engineer will be required to clear the bridge under the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

-srbp-