Heavy vehicles restricted on Freeport Bridge [Video]

Heavy vehicles, like fire trucks and Grand River Transit (GRT) buses, will not be allowed on Kitchener’s Freeport Bridge until bridge rehabilitation work is complete.

The ban on heavy vehicles starts Tuesday.

The Region of Waterloo calls it a precautionary measure for bridge rehabilitation work that is set to start in 2025.

A detailed structural evaluation was done using computer software to model the effects of different vehicles and loads.

“The modelling for the Freeport Bridge showed that current heavy traffic loads may be causing tensile stresses in the concrete arches that were not designed to withstand these loads on a repetitive and long-term basis,” the region said in a news release.

The region believes restricting heavier vehicles will help maintain the integrity of the bridge.

Crews will be installing monitoring equipment and performing live load testing to determine the next steps.

“We have contacted businesses, emergency services, and community organizations that will be most affected by …