Thread: WW 2 Bridging?
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  #19  
Old 03-01-07, 16:50
Tim Sullivan Tim Sullivan is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hamilton, Ontario
Posts: 81
Default Two Baileys in Hamilton....

You'll find not one but TWO bridges in Hamilton....and one you can see from the 403 to boot.

The first bridges the drainage canal that leads into Coote's Paradise, and is used for pedestrian traffic that goes along a waterfront trail. It's pretty covered up with wood, but those with an eagle eye will be able to spot it from the highway no problem....

The other one I "found" last year while going to my Grandmother's Interrment. We were heading to Woodland Cemetary, and had turned onto Valley Inn Rd off of York Blvd (right at the RBG), we headed down a hill into the valley, and what was sitting in front of me? I exclaimed to my wife, "Holy S&*T, it's a Bailey Bridge!!!". Of course, my dear old Dad has known about it for years now, and it's simply slipped his mind to mention it He tells me that it was erected by the Army in the 60s, I guess either shore is owned by diferent municipalities, one side Hamilton, one side Burlington....I guess a garbage truck went thru the original bridge that was there so the Army threw up the Bailey as a temporary fix while the municipalities could bicker about who was going to pay what for the new bridge.....40 years later it's still there

Google Sattelite photo here:

http://www.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF-8&o...l=en&tab=wl&q=

Now that I think about it, both Bailey bridges are within 1 km of each other too...the one I sent the satellite photo to would be a GREAT bailey to take period photos around as well....the road is pretty old, there is nothing modern surrounding it, and I even think the bridge still has wood planking for the decking (if memory serves me correctly).

Tim
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