Chunk of Concrete Fell From the Rail Bridge Onto an SUV in Ottawa
CN officials said the Riverside Dr. rail bridge is "structurally sound," and measures have been taken to prevent further damage.
“We removed some of the loose concrete,” said CN spokesman Mark Hallman. “We’ve looked at potentially installing wire mesh to maintain the structure.”
CN officials conducted an emergency inspection of the bridge on Monday after a chunk of concrete fell from the bridge onto an SUV. The 44-year-old driver was not injured. Hallman said the inspection yielded no sign of structural damage.
VIA Rail is the sole user of the tracks, running 12 passenger trains along the line every day on the Ottawa-Toronto corridor. The main terminal of the Ottawa train station lies just east of the Riverside bridge. Spokesman Malcolm Andrews said VIA has stayed in close contact with its counterparts at CN.
“We’ve received assurances that the line is maintained and that it is safe,” said Andrews.
There are no plans to examine other structures in the capital region beyond the regularly scheduled visual inspections conducted on all CN Rail bridges.
Concerned motorists alerted the Sun today of other potentially hazardous train overpasses in the city, including badly weathered structures near the intersection of Prince of Wales and Colonnade Rd., and another spanning Merivale Rd.
Meanwhile, ownership of the bridge remains unresolved, as do questions of legal liability for damages or injury.
“We’re still going through the debate, going through documents to establish ownership of the bridge, as that has not yet been determined,” said Hallman.
According to the NCC, the overpasses were constructed in the 1960s and ownership of the property was transferred to CN/CP Rail 1972.
City spokesman Eric Collard said the municipality’s role is limited to removal of the debris and aiding with traffic management.
“The city is responsible for the roads below, but maintenance (of the bridge) falls to CN,” said Collard. Representatives for the NCC agreed, insisting that responsibility for inspection and maintenance is strictly CN’s.
“We removed some of the loose concrete,” said CN spokesman Mark Hallman. “We’ve looked at potentially installing wire mesh to maintain the structure.”
CN officials conducted an emergency inspection of the bridge on Monday after a chunk of concrete fell from the bridge onto an SUV. The 44-year-old driver was not injured. Hallman said the inspection yielded no sign of structural damage.
VIA Rail is the sole user of the tracks, running 12 passenger trains along the line every day on the Ottawa-Toronto corridor. The main terminal of the Ottawa train station lies just east of the Riverside bridge. Spokesman Malcolm Andrews said VIA has stayed in close contact with its counterparts at CN.
“We’ve received assurances that the line is maintained and that it is safe,” said Andrews.
There are no plans to examine other structures in the capital region beyond the regularly scheduled visual inspections conducted on all CN Rail bridges.
Concerned motorists alerted the Sun today of other potentially hazardous train overpasses in the city, including badly weathered structures near the intersection of Prince of Wales and Colonnade Rd., and another spanning Merivale Rd.
Meanwhile, ownership of the bridge remains unresolved, as do questions of legal liability for damages or injury.
“We’re still going through the debate, going through documents to establish ownership of the bridge, as that has not yet been determined,” said Hallman.
According to the NCC, the overpasses were constructed in the 1960s and ownership of the property was transferred to CN/CP Rail 1972.
City spokesman Eric Collard said the municipality’s role is limited to removal of the debris and aiding with traffic management.
“The city is responsible for the roads below, but maintenance (of the bridge) falls to CN,” said Collard. Representatives for the NCC agreed, insisting that responsibility for inspection and maintenance is strictly CN’s.
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