MTO says 403 overpass expected to reopen following inspection

MTO says 403 overpass expected to reopen following inspection

Structural engineers and maintenance staff with the Ministry of Transportation are assessing the Highway 403 overpass at Wayne Gretzky Parkway after it was damaged Monday afternoon by a piece of construction equipment being transported along the highway.

“When the bridge was struck, a girder protecting the bridge was dislodged and fell on the highway below, resulting in the closure of all lanes of Highway 403,” Lee Alderson, senior issues adviser with the ministry, said in an email to The Expositor .

“No injuries have been reported.”

Alderson said the highway and the overpass are expected to reopen following the inspection and the removal of debris blocking the 403’s westbound lanes.

“The exact time is not yet determined.”

He said the bridge was struck last December and again in January by oversized loads. Damage led to the closing of one lane of the overpass pending repairs.

A tender call has been issued for the repairs, Alderson said.

pso1