Caption: The replacement of the Metrolinx Guelph Subdivision bridge over the Speed River in Guelph – affectionately called Allan’s Bridge by locals for the old mill nearby – is well underway as the first replacement span is lowered with care and precision by the diligent crews of Mammoet, time 4:17am. After careful alignments and minor adjustments were made the span touched down at 4:56am.

Over the coming weekends all seven main spans – each weighing in at 200,000 lbs – and transverse members installed in 1948 by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario, will be replaced to extend the life of the bridge, allowing for increased speeds and future double tracking. The new bridge will rest upon the original 1856 limestone abutments and piers constructed by the Grand Trunk Railway – still in solid shape at 160 years of service.

A shot of the spans being replaced by the Canadian National Railway in 1948 can be found here in the Guelph Museums' Collection.