MEDIA RELEASE
June 25, 2024
Hanover Celebrates Re-Opening of Trail Bridges
HANOVER, ON – On the evening of Monday, June 24, the Town of Hanover proudly celebrated the re-opening of four trail bridges with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and opportunity to explore the trail. The ceremony was attended by a representative from the provincial government, construction contractors, project consultant, along with local residents.
The replacement and rehabilitation of the four bridges on the south line section of the Hanover Community Trails System has been eagerly anticipated by residents. The bridges are a crucial point of access to the south line section of the trails system. This section of the trail has been closed to pedestrians since December 2018 due to the condition of two of the bridge structures. The trails system is on the former railway line.
Construction commenced in November 2023. The two southerly bridges, 1 and 2, were replaced with prefabricated steel trusses, timber decks and approach railings. Bridge 3 underwent rehabilitation that included replacement of the deck and railing, in addition to some concrete repairs. Bridge 4 included replacement of the approach spans with prefabricated steel trusses, timber deck, approach railing and rehabilitation of the existing steel pony truss. Three of the bridges included sub-structure work including new abutments, ballast walls and wingwalls. A unique aspect of the trail bridge work was the retention of the aesthetic railway attributes with rehabilitation of bridge 3 and incorporating the rehabilitation of the bridge 4 pony truss as part of this bridge’s replacement.
“The Hanover trails are an invaluable part of the community – bringing people together while helping them stay active,” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “And we are proud to support the replacement and rehabilitation of these four bridges that will ensure continued, convenient, access to the trails for decades to come.”
“It’s great to see our community come together to celebrate the re-opening of the Hanover Community Trail System. These new trail bridges will provide our community with access to Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound’s beautiful natural landscapes for generations to come while providing a great outlet to stay active both physically and mentally!”, said Alex Ruff, MP for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound.
341 10th St. Hanover ON N4N 1P5 | 519.364.2780 | hanover.ca
“Ontario is proud to support our municipal partners by investing in infrastructure that will enhance people’s quality of life and create healthy and engaging communities,” said Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure. “Significant improvements have been made to the trail bridges in the Town of Hanover, and I’m glad that local residents can safely explore the trail system with family and friends this summer – and for years to come.”
“It is great to see work completed on these bridge structures which are essential to Hanover’s beautiful trail network. I look forward to a hike in the near future”, said Rick Byers, MPP for Bruce – Grey – Owen Sound.
“Our residents value our trail system and have been very patient with the re-opening of this section,” proclaimed Hanover Mayor Sue Paterson. “The replacement and rehabilitation of the bridges ensures these structures and this segment of the trails can be used for many decades. The trail system provides the residents with the opportunity to be active and enjoy our natural surroundings, which contributes to their quality of life.”
In addition to municipal funding, the trail bridges project has benefited from the generous support of both the federal and provincial governments. The total project cost was just over $3 million. Through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) – Community Culture and Recreation Stream, the Government of Canada invested over $860,000 and the Province of Ontario invested more than $717,000. This combined total of over $1,577,000 was instrumental in the completion of the trail bridges project.
“We’re grateful for the support both the upper levels of government have shown with their investment in this work and their commitment to community betterment,” added Mayor Paterson.
UrbanLink Civil Ltd. completed the construction work and Tatham Engineering Limited provided design and project consultation. This project had economic spinoffs to the community as materials and equipment were sourced locally. As well, a collaborative effort between UrbanLink, Tatham Engineering, approving agencies such as Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority and the Town enabled the project to be completed through the winter months to improve the construction schedule.
“Thank you to all who have been involved in the completion of our trail bridges work,” Mayor Paterson shared. “This work not only benefits our current community members but ensures our trails can be enjoyed by future generations.”
Media Contact
Sherri Walden
Chief Administrative Officer
519.364.2780 x 1228
swalden@hanover.ca
