The temporary Bailey Bridge, located at the north end of Roosevelt Avenue at the extension of Scott Street, was intended to carry bus traffic from Westboro to Dominion Stations during the construction of Stage 2 LRT. It opened on Sunday morning. In a blog post Thursday morning, Koon. Jeff Leiper said he was on the first bus to cross the bridge and immediately noticed “significant noise … especially when [buses] go over the edge that separates the bridge opening from the roadway. “ Leiper told the CBC that for people living near the bridge, noise is unacceptable. It’s like striking a thunderbolt just outside your window around the clock – Coun. Jeff Laper “For these people here, it’s like thunder is just outside your window, around the clock. At rush hour, when hundreds of buses pass in an hour, it’s a cacophony with a very scary sound,” Leiper said. nearby homes on Workman, Winston and Roosevelt Avenues. He said that while the bypass has been discussed for years and a sound barrier was placed next to the bridge, this particular disturbance was a surprise. “We were predicting things like engine noise and brake noise and exhaust noise,” he said. “I’m not sure who, if anyone, was waiting for the sound of the wheels hitting a steel rim.” Leiper said there was also a noise as buses passed over the bridge. Late Thursday afternoon, buses continued to cross the bridge, but Leiper said efforts to deal with the noise seemed inadequate. The temporary Bailey Bridge made a terrifying noise as buses crossed it, according to a local councilor. (Jen Beard / CBC)
“It reminded me of a bomb”
People living near the temporary bridge confirmed that the noise that started on Sunday morning was turbulent. “At first I thought it was thunder,” said Joann Michels, who has lived nearby for 31 years. “I had all my windows closed because it was so hot earlier in the week, then when I opened them I thought, oh no, this is the bridge.” Khalil Merhi, who has lived nearby for nine years, said he and his wife had to move the bedrooms to escape the “unbearable” noise. “I lived in Beruit, so it reminded me of a bomb, like a boom! It was like, what the hell?” said Merhi. “I think the bus driver, if he stayed here, would complain about driving.” Leipper said he contacted the LRT team “to alert them to the terrifying noise being produced” and said his office had remained “in frequent contact” in recent days. CBC News asked the city for more information about the bridge, but has not yet received a response. “The neighborhood can not be asked to tolerate this for the many years that construction will take and I fully support the decision to implement the bypass away from the bridge,” he wrote in a blog post. The decision to change the route of the buses was made on Wednesday night, Leipper said.
The duration of the bypass is unknown
It is not known how long the bypass will last, nor what solutions are available, Leiper said. “It will probably be several days before I can start communicating the answers. In the meantime, however, the neighbors next door will be able to sleep.” For now, westbound buses will run from Scott to Churchill Avenue and then to Richmond. Buses to the East will do the opposite. “We will only know what the effect of adding buses back to the mix will be,” Leiper wrote. “Based on my observations on Wednesday afternoon, PM peak traffic is moving well now and I hope the result of adding buses escalating from Churchill light will not have much of an impact, but time will tell.” Because the bypass will bypass Dominion Station, Leiper has asked OC Transpo to maintain some service in Richmond and Roosevelt. The Scott Street extension to the west is now closed on Churchill Avenue. (Jen Beard / CBC)
Quick Critical Repair
Leiper said that for both locals and OC Transpo passengers now facing detours as they travel through his cabin, it is crucial that a solution is found soon. “At this point I do not know what the schedules are and this is obviously one of my most pressing questions,” he said. Leiper warned that the diversion of buses “will not be sustainable for the duration of the construction of the LRT” and said it was “critical” that the bridge problem be addressed as soon as possible. “I think it is probably solvable with a technical solution, but it will take some time. I was very hopeful earlier in the week that they could fix it quickly. I am very happy that when OC Transpo realized that the repair was not going to rush they closed it, the buses bypassed “. Merhi said he and his neighbors are willing to put up with the construction and the disturbance for a few years, but not the noise. “I do not mind if they correct the noise,” he said. “Fix it. So simple.”
