Ava Road Bridge Rehabilitation Project

The Ava Road Bridge, constructed in 1958 is a four-span concrete slab on steel I-girder bridge with a total length of 59.73 m. The bridge is located in the City of Brantford between Paris Road and Brant Avenue. The bridge carries traffic on Brant Avenue over two (2) CNR tracks and the service road. The surrounding area at this site includes the intersections of Ava Road/ Brant Avenue and Paris Road/ Terrace Hill Street.

The bridge underwent major rehabilitation in 1985 and 1998. In 1998, the rehabilitation included removal of expansion joints, concrete patch repair at deck, piers, abutments, and diaphragms, replacement of bearings at the north abutment, blast cleaning and coating of girder ends and steel bearings, and replacement of deck waterproofing and pavement on the deck.

The project, originally made up of the bridge rehabilitation and intersection improvements, was split into two stages to improve traffic flow, and pedestrian and worker safety.

Aerial view of the site showing the intersection configuration prior to the Phase 1 work

Phase 1 - Completed in 2019

Phase 1 involved the re-alignment of the Paris Rd/Terrace Hill Street intersection to address operational deficiencies.  The re-alignment forms part of the overall plan of the Ava Road Bridge rehabilitation to improve pedestrian safety movements across the bridge.  Work commenced with the design and re-alignment of the Ava Road/Terrance Hill Street/Paris Road intersection and concluded with the reconstruction of the roadway, curb, sidewalk, boulevards, storm sewer and associated items.

Aerial view of the site showing the Phase 1 intersection improvements and the Phase 2 bridge rehabilitation

Public Meeting - April 26, 2023

To inform Phase 2 of the project, a public meeting was held on Wednesday April 26th, 2023 . We are pleased to share materials from the meeting [9 MB] for your information. 

Phase 2 - Currently Underway

Phase 2 of the project involves deck repairs, and road and sidewalk re-alignment on the Ava Road Bridge between Paris Road and Brant Ave as well as replacement / installation of traffic signals. A 2013 bridge inspection recommended the following: repair of the concrete throughout, replacement of the expansion joints, repair of the asphalt on the wearing surface and cleaning and painting the structural steel.

In 2021 the City retained McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd. to carry out a detailed condition assessment of the bridge structure, as well as preliminary and detailed design. During the assessment,  deterioration to some beams on the east side of the bridge was discovered. The deterioration of the beams was extensive enough to cause further investigation of the structural integrity of that particular portion of the bridge. Out of an abundance of caution, it was decided to close the east side of the bridge until the rehabilitation is complete.

Approved construction approach  

City staff, in collaboration with our engineering consultant, McIntosh Perry, conducted a thorough analysis of the project's timeline, costs, and potential impacts. The analysis performed by McIntosh Perry demonstrated significant savings in both time and financial resources if the bridge were to be completely closed during the latter part of Phase 2 of the rehabilitation project. As it proves to be the most efficient and cost-effective approach while minimizing disruptions to the community, City Council approved this recommended approach in March 2023.

Despite delays caused by shifting from staged construction to a complete bridge closure approach, and ongoing discussions with CNR with respect to fulfilling their requirements, the project is currently progressing as planned. The chosen contractor has been finalized, and Phase 2 construction will begin the week of October 15^th, 2023. Initially, only Ava Road will be closed to complete the watermain work required. The full closure of the bridge will occur in early 2024. Clearly marked detour signage will be in place to divert traffic while construction is taking place. 

The full rehabilitation project is expected to be completed in April, 2024.

The Project Team

If you have any questions about this project, please contact us using one of the following methods:

• By Mail – please mail to Mike Campbell, City of Brantford, 58 Dalhousie Street, Brantford, ON N3T 2J2
• Phone – please contact the City at 519-759-4150 Ext. 5247
• By E-mail – please contact the Project Team