One of the finishing touches to the Alton Mill restoration project is expected to roll into the village today (Oct. 31). With the assistance of a large crane, a Bailey bridge — reminiscent of the Second World War — will be installed across Shaw’s Creek.
“We wanted a to bridge to look and feel industrial to fit the industrial past of the property,” mill co-owner Jeremy Grant says of the bridge selection.
“The bridge that was there when we bought the structure was a very simple bridge — it wasn’t elaborate. It had steel girders underneath and wood decking, so [a Bailey bridge] is kind of consistent with what was there.”
A Bailey bridge is a portable, pre-fabricated truss bridge with a simple yet strong design — tough enough for tanks even. The concept came from Donald Bailey, for whom the design is named, and was first introduced by the British military in 1943.
Because of its simplicity, the design is used throughout the world. Some have been in operation since their wartime installation.
This particular bridge will provide access to the mill from Queen Street, across Shaw’s Creek — a route that hasn’t been available to vehicles in about 20 years.
Grant says he and his brother, Jordan, learned soon after buying the mill in 1989 that the existing bridge was unsafe for vehicles. Pedestrians continued to use the bridge for access to the Bruce Trail, he adds, noting the structure had to be completely removed about three years ago.
During the $5 million mill restoration project, the Grants sought permission to rezone the property for new uses — galleries, studios, offices, etc. rather than industrial — and learned a major access upgrade was required because a newer driveway is in the floodplain.
The options, Jeremy Grant explains, were to either add about a metre of fill to the driveway and parking lot or replace the bridge.
Adding fill “would have resulted in the destruction of a lot of trees and other things that we didn’t want to do,” he says. “We decided a bridge would be a better option because we always wanted a bridge anyway and there were some historical reasons for that.”
It didn’t take long for the Grants to set their minds on a Bailey bridge — they quickly went online and started looking for a used one. Eventually they came across one that met their needs.
The bridge is coming from the Corporation of the Town of Spanish, west of Sudbury. Jeremy Grant says it had been used on a public logging road and the municipality decided to build a new bridge rather than re-deck this one.
A re-decking is in order after it’s arrival in Alton though. If all goes according to plan, two layers of wood planks will be affixed to the metal skeleton during the next two weeks, allowing the bridge to be put into use.
“There are dozens or hundreds or thousands of (Bailey bridges) in Ontario or Canada,” Jeremy Grant points out. “They’re simple. They’re relatively maintenance-free because they’re made out of galvanized metal and they have a look that we simply thought was the right look.
“It’s not elaborate or fancy. It’s not modern. It’s a very historic sort of industrial-like appearance.”
Unlike most Bailey bridges, this one will connect with concrete abutments on either side of the creek, as required by provincial regulations.
“What we’re trying to do through the whole restoration is to maintain and enhance the sense of place of Alton and the mill — the industrial heritage. A detail like what kind of bridge to use is a big part of that,” Jeremy Grant adds. “Heritage is not just physical stuff, there’s a cultural element.”
The Alton mill was built in 1881. It was initially used to process wool into fleece-lined long underwear sold across the country, and later used to produce a variety of rubber products.