A Windsor manufacturer believes its girders will be approved once the Ontario government is finished its investigation on the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway.
Prestressed Systems Inc. officials say they were disappointed at the province’s decision to close the North Talbot Road bridge during the girder review.
“Tack welding under the Canadian Bridge and Highway Design Code is allowed under strict guidelines with respect to materials, welders and procedures and this process of tack welding has been used for over 20 years on other Ontario projects,” said Loris Collavino, CEO of Prestressed Systems, in a statement.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Glen Murray was asked Wednesday if the girders were only being manufactured by Prestressed Systems or if other companies were involved.
“I don't mention the companies in particular, this isn't a court trial, no one is accused of anything-wrongdoing here,” said Murray. “This is an engineering exercise and I've asked people to wait until the review comes out. Let's hear what the engineers say.”
Murray says “we don't know right now because the transcripts aren't yet public whose engineering work or that.”
Prestressed officials emphasized that all girders they produced for this project, including the ones used in the North Talbot structure, were produced using drawings, details and procedures that were in strict compliance with those guidelines.
“We are therefore confident that the evaluation being conducted by the expert review panel will result in the continuing acceptance of these girders,” says Collavino.
The results are supposed to come back in three weeks.
“I will take very seriously the results of the review and I think it is the intention of the government to move quickly forward on their recommendations,” says Murray.
