Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge

In 2019, Vallee bridge engineers completed inspections on all of the bridges, culverts, and retaining walls in Tillsonburg. Included in this list was the Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge, a former nine-span steel I-girder bridge built in 1888 originally built as a railroad bridge. Since the 1990s, it has functioned as a pedestrian bridge, providing access to Tillsonburg’s downtown area. Our work involved completing an Enhanced Inspection (OSIM), Load Limit Analysis, and Options Evaluation for various rehabilitation or replacement solutions.

By partnering with high-level technicians from Rope Access Maintenance, the inspection was successfully completed in just a few days. Without these technicians, the inspection would have required twice as much time to complete at a much greater expense. It was determined that the heritage-valued Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge in its current condition had just 10 years of service life remaining and required urgent repairs. These results were critical in completing the Load Limit Analysis and accurately evaluating various options for rehabilitation and replacement for the Town.

Client

Town of Tillsonburg

Location

Tillsonburg, Ontario

Year

2019

Span

106 metres

High-level rope access technicians, secured by harnesses, carry out inspections on the Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge as part of Vallee's Enhanced Inspection on the heritage-value structure.
High-level rope access technicians, secured by harnesses, carry out inspections on the Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge as part of Vallee's Enhanced Inspection on the heritage-value structure.
High-level rope access technicians, secured by harnesses, carry out inspections on the Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge as part of Vallee's Enhanced Inspection on the heritage-value structure.
High-level rope access technicians, secured by harnesses, carry out inspections on the Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge as part of Vallee's Enhanced Inspection on the heritage-value structure.
An aerial view of the Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge during an Enhanced Inspection, as part of Vallee's OSIM work for the Town of Tillsonburg.
High-level rope access technicians, secured by harnesses, carry out inspections on the Kinsmen Pedestrian Bridge as part of Vallee's Enhanced Inspection on the heritage-value structure.