The Cambridge Main Street Bridge is located in the historic
centre of the former City of Galt and spans the Grand River,
a Canadian Heritage River. It is part of a group of four
multiple-span concrete bow string arch bridges spanning the
Grand River that were erected in the same time period. They
are all similar in style. These bridges are a part of the
upgrading work that took place to the transportation
networks in Ontario, after the First World War, to
accommodate the increased number of automobiles. This group
includes two other bridges within the Region of Waterloo,
the Freeport Bridge and the Bridgeport Bridge in Kitchener.
The fourth bridge, the Caledonia Bridge is located in the
nearby City of Caledonia.
The Cambridge Main Street Bridge crosses the Grand River and
connects the east and west sides of downtown Galt, making it
the most important bridge in the City of Cambridge. The
current bridge replaced an earlier bridge, built at this
location. Commissioned by the former City of Galt, at a cost
of approximately $55,000, the structure was designed by
Archibald B. Crealock, a consulting engineer from Toronto.
It was built in four months, by W.H. Yates Construction
Company Limited of Hamilton. The official opening of the
Cambridge Main Street Bridge took place on December 22,
1931.
The Cambridge Main Street Bridge is a reinforced concrete
bowstring arch bridge. The bridge's bowstring design was
popular in the 1920s and 1930s as it required minimal
material, was simple to install and could easily accommodate
vehicular traffic. It has an overall length of 188 feet and
two spans of 94 feet each. The bridge's abutments and piers
are built entirely on limestone bedrock. Two lanes of cars
can cross the bridge and 8 foot wide sidewalks, one on
either side of the vehicular traffic, make it a
pedestrian-safe structure.
Dont forget to log my Movie Location waymark on this
bridge
It was the film location for the movie St Ralph's
