Flooding, Bridges, and Oxford History Warning
Oxford Mayor Greg Henley has asked the province to inspect the town’s bridges following severe flooding that struck the town in recent days.
Deputy Mayor Wade Adshade brought the condition of the River Philip bridge to Town Council’s attention prior to this evening’s meeting, expressing concern that the bridge has deteriorated considerably and may pose a risk to the public.
Adshade says there are parts of the railing that have completely rusted through, and the walkways are in poor condition.
Councillor Brenton Colborne says he raised the issue of the bridge’s condition nearly a decade ago, adding that it is in “bad shape.” He says the tin plates on the walkways were laid down to cover holes that—at the time—were large enough for a small child to fall through. The councillors are concerned that the erosion has continued over the past several years.
Mayor Henley says he’s contacted local MLA Tory Rushton, asking him to bring the matter up with the Department of Public Works. Bridges are a provincial responsibility, with Public Works in charge of inspections and, if required, replacement.
Henley says he’ll follow up to have inspections performed on the three bridges within the town boundaries.
Oxford is no stranger to flooding whenever there has been a combination of large snowfalls, river ice, and heavy rains. That’s what happened over the weekend, leaving South Oxford and Lower Main Street—the two routes to Pugwash (301 & 321) inaccessible from the town proper.
Apart from the inconveniences of travel, many local residents were affected by the flooding, with basements in parts of the town seeing several inches or more of water threatening to damage furnaces and electrical systems, not to mention stored personal property.
Henley thanked the Oxford Volunteer Fire Department for their quick response and assistance to the community. In some severe cases, the department’s pumper truck was used to pump out excess water that overwhelmed some residents’ abilities to stem the flood. The department took every precaution to ensure filters were in place to protect the pumps from debris that might have caused damage.
The historic photo—courtesy of Tracy Rushton—shows the 1966 collapse of Oxford's River Philip Bridge. The photos below include the 1962 flood at the River Philip Bridge, and the recent weekend flooding near the Black River Bridge.
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