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Caption: Due to increased road traffic, a newer bridge was was constructed in 1973, further to the north when compared to the original double deck bridge. The lower deck was finally closed to cars in 2021 due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions of the roads surface below, with small holes in the roads surface appearing, you’re able to see the Saskatchewan River below.
The crew told me a story that for one rather impatient individual, the drive to the north was too much of an inconvenience for them.
Someone had driven up the eastern side of the bridge along the service road, aligned their car with the tracks direction and proceeded to let the air out of the tires, allowing the rims to straddle the rails, with the rim acting as the flange on both sides. The individual crossed the upper deck of the bridge, minus guard rails, to the other side and eventually disembarked at the next crossing.
I couldn’t imagine staring down at the river with no barriers on either side in a car, but the crew graciously allowed me to stand on the walkway as we crossed over into Nipawin from the West. The view was downright spectacular, in May in that part of the province, winter seems to hold on just a little longer some years. The May thaw and melt provided a swollen Saskatchewan River, adding to the ambiance of the crossing.
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I had no idea that roadway was now closed. I crossed it I think in 2020 (or2019) and was thinking “where would I park if a train was coming”?
Very interesting, and mucho thanks for this.