6 August 2007
Chunk Falls from Railway Overpass
Toronto Ontario - Robert Copeman was walking to church
when he noticed the bocce-ball-sized gap in the facade of the railway bridge and the hunk of concrete that had fallen onto
the abutment below.
With last week's spectacular bridge collapse in Minneapolis fresh in his mind, Copeman said he had to call the police.
That concrete could have gone through a windshield, he said, while waiting for the officer to arrive.
"There are still cracks up there. You can still see the cracks," Copeman said.
"I think they should do something about it.They can warn people who are coming down here. I wouldn't drive through here if I knew
about that."
The railway overpass was built in 1960, according to the keystone in the northeast corner.
The bridge, a block west of Victoria Park Ave. and Lawrence Ave. E., is in a predominantly industrial area, police officer Mike Spence
said.
"Our next step is to call (the rail line) and get a work crew out," Spence said.
Rick Poznikoff, Canadian Pacific Railways spokesperson, said the bridge will be investigated but is considered safe.
"It could be the result of weather... We won't know until we see the result of an investigation," he said, adding that
falling concrete is "very rare."
Many of Toronto's bridges are feeling the ill effects of time and stress. The city announced last week that the Bloor St. viaduct was
to be thoroughly examined after inspectors found cracks. The city inspects half of its bridges annually, and repairs between 20 and
22 each year.
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