Windy winter delays light pole replacements on Confederation Bridge
New feature reduces risk of poles snapping off
High winds this winter have delayed plans to replace all the light poles on the Confederation Bridge.
The project began just over three years ago. In high winds a number of poles have been swaying and breaking off at the base.
Michel LeChasseur, general manager of Strait Crossing Bridge Limited, the company that operates and maintains the bridge, said the company plans to replace all 310 poles to reduce the risk of them breaking.
So far, Strait Crossing has replaced 100 of the poles, said LeChasseur.
He said drivers may notice ten light poles missing from the bridge, but they should be installed shortly — depending on the weather.
'A huge jump year over year'
To help stabilize the poles, crews have installed dampeners — which are metal boxes containing two weighted balls — at the top of each pole to reduce the sway of the pole. "This is working tremendously," he said.
However, the wind is delaying the repair work, he said.
February in particular was a windy month, said LeChasseur.
He estimates high winds restricted traffic about three times as often as the previous February.
LeChasseur said the company hopes to replace the other 200 light poles by the end of the year, if the weather co-operates.
He said he also anticipates the new light poles will last longer than their projected replacement date of 2032.