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Andrewsville Swing Bridge

Nicholsons Locks Bridge

Andrewsville Swing Bridge

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth and Rick McOmber

Bridge Documented: July 19, 2013

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Facility Carried / Feature Intersected
Andrewsville Road Over Rideau Canal
Location
Rural: Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario: Canada
Construction Date and Builder / Engineer
1971 By Builder/Contractor: Unknown
Rehabilitation Date
Not Available or Not Applicable
Main Span Length
Not Available
Structure Length
Not Available
Roadway Width
Not Available
Spans
1 Main Span(s)
Inventory Number
Not Applicable

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)
View Information About HSR Ratings

Bridge Documentation

2019 Update: This bridge was reported to have a 1971 construction date, confirming original suspicions that much of the material on this bridge might be modern. While this date limits the heritage value of the bridge, it nevertheless closely replicates a very old, historical swing bridge design and offers interpretive value in terms of this bridge type.

This highly unusual bridge is representative of some of the earlier swing bridge designs that have been used on the Rideau Canal. Earlier swing bridges on the canal were rim bearing swing bridges and required two people to operate. This was a later center-bearing design, and could be operated by a single person. The method in which the bridge was operated was simply by pushing the end of the bridge. Unlike some of the later hand-turned swing bridges that involve walking a bar around in circles to turn a gear system, this bridge design simply operates on pure manpower with no other assistance. This design of swing bridge was used on the canal since 1864. Like its method of operation, the design of the bridge is somewhat simple, producing an archaic appearance. The superstructure is wooden. Also, wooden posts are present on the bridge and from these extend stays that help stabilize the bridge. These posts and stays have led some to wrongly classify this bridge as a Kingpost truss. However, the posts and stays are not a truss, and instead just provide stability for the bridge. This system of posts and stays are called Samson posts.  The bridge seen here today is of questionable material significance, meaning that a lot of the materials may not be original. It is reported that since its original construction it has been rebuilt several times. It is unsure what materials if any are original, and is is also unclear what materials might be old and which are relatively modern. Some of the metal parts on the bridge like the stays have a somewhat modern look to them. Other metal parts like the rollers under the bridge look like they could be older. Despite the lacking historic integrity, the bridge appears to retain integrity of design and function. The bridge seen today continues to operate by hand, and its structural systems appear to maintain the original intended design.

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Photo Galleries and Videos: Andrewsville Swing Bridge

 

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Bridge Photo-Documentation

Original / Full Size Photos
A collection of overview and detail photos. This gallery offers photos in the highest available resolution and file size in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
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View Photo Gallery

Bridge Photo-Documentation

Mobile Optimized Photos
A collection of overview and detail photos. This gallery features data-friendly, fast-loading photos in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
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View Video

CarCam: Westbound Crossing

Full Motion Video
Note: The downloadable high quality version of this video (available on the video page) is well worth the download since it offers excellent 1080 HD detail and is vastly more impressive than the compressed streaming video. Streaming video of the bridge. Also includes a higher quality downloadable video for greater clarity or offline viewing.

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Maps and Links: Andrewsville Swing Bridge

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