Taylor Road bridge closed

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nnSOUTH DUNDAS – Drivers north-west of Brinston will have to use alternative routes between Gilmour and Kirker Roads as the municipality closed the Taylor Road Bridge.nn

nThe Municipality of South Dundas closed the bridge, effective immediately, due to the main bridge structure “failing in key areas” and that there has been “significant and unexpected damage.” The Taylor Road bridge failed its bi-annual Ontario Structure Inspection Manual inspection, which was conducted by Keystone Bridge Management for the municipality. In 2019, a previous inspection identified repairs for the bridge were required in “the near future.”nn”With the report from the Keystone engineer, we must close the bridge for the safety of the travelling public who use this road,” said Mayor Steven Byvelds in a release July 26. “As much as it will be inconvenient, our resident’s well-being is our priority, and we will not take any chances.”nnThe north and south sections of Taylor Road up to the bridge remain open, and access to South Branch Road is unaffected by the bridge closure.nnThis is the fourth bridge closure in recent years. In 2017, the South Branch Road, Nine Mile Road and Devries Road bridges were closed due to repair issues. The South Branch Road bridge was later repaired, while the Nine Mile and Devries Road bridges were permanently decommissioned.nn