Perley Bridge, Steel bridge across Ottawa River between Hawkesbury and Grenville, Canada
Perley Bridge was a steel bridge of 2,284 feet (696 m) crossing the Ottawa River via Chenail Island between Hawkesbury, Ontario, and Grenville, Quebec. Its 34 spans included 27 trestle spans, five deck truss spans on piers in deeper water, a through truss over the navigation channel and a bowstring truss over the Carillon Canal. The roadway was 24 feet (7.3 m) wide with two lanes and a 5-foot (1.5 m) sidewalk on one side.
Towns on both banks first requested a bridge in 1908, and surveys followed in 1910. A 1914 design stalled over cost-sharing between Ottawa and the two provinces, was shelved during World War I, and was revived in 1923 and redesigned in 1924. Bids for the steel superstructure were sought in July 1930, and the bridge opened on October 21, 1931, at a cost of about $500,000.
The bridge connected English-speaking Ontario communities with French-speaking Quebec populations, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges between provinces.
The crossing was built to handle both vehicle and pedestrian traffic between the two provinces. Today you can still visit the riverbank where it once stood to understand the geography of this former route.
The bridge's steel was fabricated by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario, and the general contractor was Farley & Grant. Its 34 spans included 27 trestle spans over shallower water and one bowstring truss over the Carillon Canal.
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