Earlier this month, the historic Silver Bridge in Bracebridge, Ont., was closed indefinitely after a “shift” was discovered during a review of the structure.
While performing routine sidewalk maintenance, operations staff from the Town of Bracebridge experienced difficulty clearing snow that had accumulated on the bridge and notified the District of Muskoka’s roads operations team. The decision was made to close the bridge following the discovery of a shift that had not been there when the bridge was last inspected only a few months earlier, in November 2024.
Silver Bridge, located in the heart of Bracebridge, has covered the Muskoka River—allowing vehicle and pedestrian traffic to pass over the waterway—since the mid-1930s. Over the years, the bridge has become somewhat of an iconic symbol for the township, even featuring prominently in Bracebridge’s official town logo since 2015.
Now, the bridge will be closed for the foreseeable future. “Safety is our top priority,” says Muskoka’s Director of Engineering and Transportation Mark Misko. “At this time, work is being completed to assess the structure and develop a repair plan to reopen the bridge. Further updates will be provided as soon as possible.”
In the meantime, the roughly 3,714 vehicles that traverse the bridge each day as of 2023, says Misko, will need to find alternative routes. Motorists are encouraged to take Entrance Drive and Muskoka Road 118 instead.
“Electronic signs are in place to help direct traffic around the bridge,” says Misko. “We’re also planning to add more signs in the area to give drivers extra notice as they approach Bracebridge.”
Though the bridge has been known to take hits from the occasional car strike over the years, Misko says this is the first time structural concerns have been raised. As such, costs for repairs are currently unknown, but the town is in the process of getting answers.
“Our top priority is figuring out the safest way to access the bridge so we can begin to repair it,” says Misko. “We’re also looking at options for long-term repair and rehabilitation, including high-level cost estimates, which will be shared for consideration at a later date, once we know it’s safe for crews to work on the bridge.”
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