Perley Bridge

Perley Bridge
Postcard image of the Perley Bridge
Coordinates	45°22′14″N 74°21′19″W / 45.3706°N 74.3552°W / 45.3706; -74.3552Coordinates: 45°22′14″N 74°21′19″W / 45.3706°N 74.3552°W / 45.3706; -74.3552
Carries	road vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles
Crosses	Ottawa River
Locale	Ontario-Quebec border
Named for	George Perley
Preceded by	Macdonald-Cartier Bridge
Followed by	Lake of Two Mountains
Characteristics
Design	truss
Material	concrete & steel
Pier construction	concrete
Total length	2,284 feet (696 m)
Width	24 feet (7.3 m) (roadway)
Traversable?	yes
History
Constructed by	Canadian Bridge Company
Construction end	1931
Rebuilt	1961
Closed	1998
Replaced by	Long-Sault Bridge
Statistics
Daily traffic	11,000–12,000 (1970s)
Perley Bridge Location of Perley bridge in Canada

The Perley Bridge was a bridge connecting Hawkesbury, Ontario and Grenville, Quebec. It crossed the Ottawa River via Chenail Island. It was named for George Perley, Canadian Member of Parliament representing the Argenteuil district in southern Quebec. He first advocated for a crossing at Hawkesbury in 1909. The bridge was known as the Hawkesbury-Grenville Bridge, or less frequently the Grenville-Hawkesbury Bridge prior to its completion in 1931 when the name Perley was applied. It was replaced by the Long-Sault Bridge in 1998.

The towns began to request the bridge in 1908, with initial survey work done in 1910. The bridge was designed by 1914, however no agreement was reached between the national government and the two provinces on how the cost would be shared. The project was put aside due to World War I and not revived until 1923. By then, the design needed to be revised to meet contemporary construction standards. Redesign work was completed in 1924, but construction would wait a further six more years. Bids for the fabrication of the bridge superstructure were not solicited until July 1930. It was completed in 1931, at a cost of approximately $500,000, opening to traffic on October 21. The steel was fabricated by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario and the general contractor was Farley & Grant. The bridge was 2,284 feet (696 m) in length (measured between abutments) and included 34 different spans, 27 of which were trestle spans over the shallower area on either end. The others were five longer deck truss spans set on piers in deeper water, one through truss which gave the maximum clearance over the navigation channel near the middle of the river, and one bowstring truss over the Carillon Canal. The roadway was 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and carried one traffic lane in each direction, with an additional 5 feet (1.5 m) wide sidewalk on one side. All piers were set on bedrock.