White River Bridge Replacement
Location
District of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Owner
Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO)
Role
Consultant
Project Overview
Full replacement of the White River Bridge at Bremner on Highway 17.
Key Components
- Grading, Granular Base & Hot Mix Paving – Ensuring a stable roadway leading up to the new bridge.
- New Three-Span Steel Plate Girder Bridge – Includes precast concrete deck panels with Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) connections.
- Temporary Modular Bridge (TMB) Detour – Constructed north of the existing bridge to maintain traffic flow during construction. Pile Foundations & Substructure Upgrades – Utilizing drilled-in tube piles socketed into bedrock for long-term stability.
- New Roadside Safety Features – Steel beam guiderails and upgraded signage to meet MTO standards.
- Environmental Protection Measures – Bird Nesting Preventative Measures for Barn Swallows and debris isolation for in-water work.
Challenges & Solutions
Project Impact & Benefits
- Extended service life of the bridge (minimum 75 years) through modernized structural design.
- Improved traffic safety with new guiderails, approach slabs, and road rehabilitation.
- Minimized environmental impact with controlled debris management and slope stabilization.
- Reduced maintenance needs through corrosion-resistant materials and advanced foundation design.