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Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th Street Bridge | 5th Street Over Thames River | Chatham: Chatham-Kent Region, Ontario | Metal Through Girder, Bascule | 1931 By: Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company |
This bridge is actually a bascule bridge although it no longer operates, and the bridge-tender tower has been removed. It is one of the smallest bascule spans I have ever seen, talk about a tight fit! It reminds me of the tiny bridge in Cheboygan, Michigan. Like the Cheboygan Bridge, this structure's short span length did not keep it from being a double-leaf bascule bridge. This bridge might surprise some people to find that this is one of only about 90 bridges provincial-wide to make Ontario's rather conservative Heritage Bridge List. While I personally disagree that this bridge is is more worthy of being on the list than the number of pin connected truss bridges that have been excluded from the Heritage Bridge List, this is indeed actually a rather significant bascule bridge. The reason being, it is a rare example of a Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge, and was actually designed by the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago, Illinois, as identified on the bridge's plaque. The rolling lift design meant that the bascule rolled back on a track on the pier rather than rotating around a stationary axel as in the more common trunnion design. The Jefferson Street Bridge in Joliet Illinois is a large example of the Scherzer Rolling lift, of which I have photos in the raised position. The 5th Street Bridge's superstructure was constructed by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario. The bridge was built in 1930/1931. It features a through plate girder approach span at each end.
