Silver Bridge Closure and Recovery

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The Silver Bridge in the Town of Bracebridge is fully closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic in both directions while a detailed structural assessment is underway.

What happened?

On Monday, January 6, Bracebridge Operations staff noticed that the clearance for sidewalk equipment on the bridge looked different than usual. This prompted a closer inspection by District staff and a Senior Structural Engineer, which revealed some deformation in the bridge’s truss members.

What’s happening now? (Update October 2025)

The District Municipality of Muskoka has selected Clearwater Construction Inc. to complete the rehabilitation of the historic Silver Bridge in Bracebridge, marking a key milestone in the project’s progress toward reopening.

District officials are finalizing contract details, with construction staging and rehabilitation design expected to begin immediately.

A careful, expert-driven selection process

Before selecting Clearwater Construction, the District undertook a detailed and deliberate process to ensure the bridge could be safely rehabilitated and that the most qualified contractor was chosen.

This work included:

  • Conducting an in-depth analysis of the failed structural condition and assessing the feasibility of rehabilitation.
  • Evaluating how weight and loading were distributed across the bridge under the damaged condition.
  • Consulting with industry experts to determine the safest and most effective rehabilitation approach.
  • Requesting and reviewing expressions of interest from experienced heavy civil contractors and shortlisting the top three firms based on expertise and capacity.
  • Interviewing shortlisted contractors, clarifying scope, and reviewing detailed technical and cost proposals before selecting a preferred partner.

This new, two-stage selection process was designed to secure the best industry expertise at the best overall value, ensuring the rehabilitation is completed safely, efficiently, and to the highest engineering standards.

What you need to know:

  • Detours: Detour routes are in place for safe travel to and from the Main Street area. Most drivers will only experience minimal delays.

  • Navigation Apps: Municipal 511 has been updated with detour information, helping to keep Google Maps and Waze current.

  • Updates: We’ll continue to share updates as they become available.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to ensure the safety of everyone using District infrastructure. Updates will be shared as they become available.

The Silver Bridge in the Town of Bracebridge is fully closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic in both directions while a detailed structural assessment is underway.

What happened?

On Monday, January 6, Bracebridge Operations staff noticed that the clearance for sidewalk equipment on the bridge looked different than usual. This prompted a closer inspection by District staff and a Senior Structural Engineer, which revealed some deformation in the bridge’s truss members.

What’s happening now? (Update October 2025)

The District Municipality of Muskoka has selected Clearwater Construction Inc. to complete the rehabilitation of the historic Silver Bridge in Bracebridge, marking a key milestone in the project’s progress toward reopening.

District officials are finalizing contract details, with construction staging and rehabilitation design expected to begin immediately.

A careful, expert-driven selection process

Before selecting Clearwater Construction, the District undertook a detailed and deliberate process to ensure the bridge could be safely rehabilitated and that the most qualified contractor was chosen.

This work included:

  • Conducting an in-depth analysis of the failed structural condition and assessing the feasibility of rehabilitation.
  • Evaluating how weight and loading were distributed across the bridge under the damaged condition.
  • Consulting with industry experts to determine the safest and most effective rehabilitation approach.
  • Requesting and reviewing expressions of interest from experienced heavy civil contractors and shortlisting the top three firms based on expertise and capacity.
  • Interviewing shortlisted contractors, clarifying scope, and reviewing detailed technical and cost proposals before selecting a preferred partner.

This new, two-stage selection process was designed to secure the best industry expertise at the best overall value, ensuring the rehabilitation is completed safely, efficiently, and to the highest engineering standards.

What you need to know:

  • Detours: Detour routes are in place for safe travel to and from the Main Street area. Most drivers will only experience minimal delays.

  • Navigation Apps: Municipal 511 has been updated with detour information, helping to keep Google Maps and Waze current.

  • Updates: We’ll continue to share updates as they become available.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to ensure the safety of everyone using District infrastructure. Updates will be shared as they become available.

  • July 2025 Update

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    What’s happening now? (Update July 2025)

    The District has started the process of finding a qualified contractor to repair and restore the Silver Bridge. An “Expression of Interest” (EOI) was recently released to gather submissions from contractors who have the experience and skills to do the work.

    Contractors will provide information about their qualifications, and the District will use these submissions to create a shortlist of candidates. Those shortlisted contractors will then be invited to participate in the next stage of the process, where they’ll receive a detailed overview of the repairs required.

    The contractor selection process is expected to continue through summer 2025, with site work anticipated to begin in fall 2025.

    What have we done since?

    Detailed condition assessments have confirmed that the primary issue is a failure at a connection point on the western truss. Specifically, both gusset plates on this truss were found to be sheared and buckled, which caused the western truss to shift out of alignment.

    The District’s structural consultant, DM Wills(External link), has completed several important assessments to explore whether the bridge can be safely brought back into service:

    1. Load Transfer Analysis: A model was developed to assess the bridge's current load capacity. The results confirmed that the bridge must remain closed until repairs or a replacement are completed.

    2. Capacity Analysis vs. Modern Standards: Because of the bridge's age and later modifications (like the sidewalk), its capacity was analyzed against current Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code requirements. Early results suggest the bridge, in its original design, can meet modern traffic load standards.

    While these findings support the potential for rehabilitation, further investigations are underway. For more technical details, you can review the findings in Council report 7(2025)-4(External link).

  • Background & FAQs

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    The History of Silver Bridge

    • Built in the late 1920s
    • Three Span Bridge: two steel girder approach sections and one main “through truss” (46m) spanning the Muskoka River.
    • Located in a “severe” environment spanning the Muskoka River at the Bracebridge Falls Dam.

    How does the District inspect bridges?

    • All 49 District-owned bridges are inspected every two years, following Ontario Regulation 472/10 and the Canadian Highway Bridge Code.
    • Inspections are visual and non-intrusive, conducted under the supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer.
    • Several inspections were performed throughout 2024 to support ongoing design efforts. No issues were identified at that time.

    When was the last inspection, and were there any concerns?

    • The last inspection was conducted in November 2024.
    • No structural concerns were noted during this inspection.

    Has work been done on the bridge before?

    Yes, two major rehabilitations on record:

    • 1985: Major deck repairs, structural component replacements, and painting.
    • 2001: Replacement of approach spans, deck repairs, truss strengthening, replacement of the sidewalk on the west side, and recoating of steel members.

    Was there additional rehabilitation work planned for the bridge?

    • Based on the regular inspections of the bridge, a capital project was scoped, and design work began in 2024 to rehabilitate the bridge. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2025, following the construction work completed for the Taylor Road bridge. The original scope included deck repairs, structural component rehabilitation, and recoating of steel members.
    • Funding to support this rehabilitation was included in the Draft 2025/2026 Tax Levy supported Capital budget.
    • The scope of work for this planned project is being adjusted to account for the additional complexities associated with the recent development.


Page last updated: 23 Oct 2025, 01:06 PM