Light poles removed from Confederation Bridge due to weather

Twenty light poles on the Confederation Bridge are being replaced after a fixture was ripped from its base by extreme winds during December.

The incident prompted an inspection by bridge engineers, leading to the recommendation to replace the poles as a precautionary measure.

"We had a wind event of 155 kilometres per hour around Christmas time," said Michel Le Chasseur, general manager of Strait Crossing Bridge Limited, the company that operates and maintains the bridge.

He said that removal of the poles slated for replacement was completed by last Friday and the company is now waiting for the manufacturer to deliver the new fixtures.

Keeping watch

This isn't the first time poles have had to be replaced on the Confederation Bridge. In 2015, high winds blew 11 lights into the strait according to Le Chasseur.

At the time the company brought in a metallurgist who "determined that it was simply the strength of the wind," he said.

He said inspections of the 310 light fixtures are quite common and occur every time there is a wind event.

"We're not playing Russian roulette with the safety of the public here," he said. "We have a job to do and that's what we do."

The new fixtures are expected to be in place by March.

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