The Wyndham Street bridge underpass is now open to vehicular traffic, with the exception of heavy trucks.
The City erected temporary signs this afternoon to convey that heavy trucks are not permitted to travel beneath the Wyndham Street bridge and opened the road to vehicular traffic. This is an interim measure to allow the roadway to be re-opened to vehicular traffic. The prohibitive truck signs will be in effect for Wyndham Street between Fountain Street and Carden Street.
“Both the clearance of 3.8 metres and the truck restriction are clearly marked on the Wyndham Street bridge, and the City is working with Guelph Police Service to communicate these restrictions to truck drivers”, explained Don Kudo, interim general manager of Engineering Services.
Heavy trucks are defined in the City of Guelph’s Traffic Bylaw.
“It appears the trucks involved in incidents under the Wyndham Street bridge were over 4.0 metres in height. Given that, the City is working with Guelph Police Service to increase communication and education targeted at truck drivers, as well as taking the necessary precaution in signing the bridge as a no truck route and keeping the clearance at 3.8 metres”, said Kudo.
Guelph Transit, fire and ambulance vehicles will continue to be allowed to use Wyndham Street.
The bridge is structurally sound, will continue to be used by train traffic and pedestrians can travel beneath it safely.
Wyndham Street from Carden Street to Wellington Street was closed by Guelph Police service on Friday, October 19, after a truck scraped the bottom of the crash beam, despite the updated 3.8 metre clearance signage.
Since the crash beams were installed on October 11, five incidents of transport trailer trucks scraping the crash beams were reported to Guelph Police Services. The incidents were minor and there were no injuries. No non-commercial vehicles have hit the bridge.