The Canso Causeway Swing Bridge is a 308 foot, 1520 ton, two lane highway with a railway line, passing over the canal at the northern end of the causeway, enabling large sea vessels to pass through.
In the summer of 2013, Allnorth was engaged by Public Works and Government Services Canada to perform inspections of the mechanical and electrical systems of the bridge and prepare a report detailing required repairs and associated costs.
In 2014, Allnorth was engaged by Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal to complete detailed design of the mechanical and electrical systems associated with the bridge. As an added assignment, Allnorth was also commissioned to complete a study to determine the feasibility of increasing the overhead clearance by relocating the existing control room and to recommend the most appropriate option of implementation.
The detailed mechanical design included drawings and specifications for secondary egress from the machine room, electric motor and engine brakes, mechanical over-swing protection design and redesign of rail wedge motor covers with heaters to prevent condensation.
The detailed electrical design included rail wedge drive, overall electrical wiring improvements, end wedge position detection, electrical heating for the machine room, power distribution equipment, swing over travel prevention design (limit switches and controls) and electrical cable routing and control specification for rail wedge motors. Work also included the design of a new control system to operate the bridge from the new control building.
