| Sewells Road Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Carries | single lane of traffic on Sewells Road |
| Crosses | Little Rouge Creek |
| Locale | Markham, Ontario, Canada |
| Maintained by | York Region Roads |
| Design | Single-lane wood decked bailey bridge |
| Total length | 24 metres (79 ft) |
| Clearance below | 6.0 metres (19.7 ft) |
| Opened | 1945 [1] |
Old (16th Avenue) Bailey Bridge is a bailey bridge located on 16th Avenue (York Regional Road 73) east of Reesor Road within Rouge Park. The bridge crosses the Little Rouge Creek, a tributary of the Rouge River.
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The 24 metre steel bridge was constructed in 1954 by Canadian Military Engineers, replacing a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Hazel.[2] Later it was restored in 1965. It is unique in that it has a wood plank deck. Little has changed for the bridge and traffic in the area, which is still rural and agricultural.
An assessment by York Region and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in 2007 has suggested the bridge removal when the road is realigned, but still noting that it "is of heritage interest."[1] but is currently not listed in the Markham Heritage Inventory. In a 2010 report from the Transportation Services Committee to the Regional Council, Rouge Park management indicated their desire to maintain the Bailey bridge for pedestrian use.[3] In mid-2011, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority accepted the proposal to save the bridge.[4] When 16th Avenue is realigned (and widen) to eliminate the dogsleg at Reesor Road, the old bridge will continue to serve as a pedestrian crossing if conditions have not deteriorated. The bridge is an early examples of this type of bridge and are now considered rare[1] and it remains as one of a limited number of bridges of this type in Ontario.
Other bailey bridges in and around this one:
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