Drivers must yield to vehicles already on the bridge, but it can be hard to see them, particularly from the south.
Bushes and trees along the edges of the road at the approach to the one-lane Sewells bridge prevent oncoming traffic from seeing vehicles already on the bridge. (JACK LAKEY / TORONTO STAR)
And if it happens to be a car on a bridge that can only handle traffic moving in one direction at a time, it increases the chance of an accident.
David Wallace emailed us about such a problem at the Sewells Rd. bridge over the Rouge River, where there is still a sliver of rural countryside in the city’s far northeastern corner.
The tiny suspension bridge was built in 1912 and is wide enough only for one vehicle; drivers approaching from the opposite direction must wait for the car already on it to move on before they can cross.
It helps if approaching drivers can see if the coast is clear, but Wallace says the trees and bushes along the edges of the road obscure traffic on the bridge.
“I use this road often and am frustrated that I can’t see oncoming traffic from either direction until I am either on the bridge itself or the (point) where the road narrows to one lane to access the bridge,” said Wallace.
“Often I am on the bridge when a car enters at excessive speed from the opposite direction because that driver could not see my car.
“I fear if this situation is allowed to continue, there is going to be a bad road accident on the bridge.”
We went there and found an abundance of vegetation on both sides of the bridge, which makes it much harder for drivers to see a vehicle already on it until they’re just about on top of it.
It seems worse for drivers coming from the south; a bend in the road just before the approach to the bridge makes it even more difficult to spot a vehicle already on it.
And some drivers with a heavy foot approach the bridge too quickly and have to suddenly slam on the brakes when they finally see another car; we saw it happen several times.
STATUS: We’ve asked Bob Taylor, who’s in charge of right-of-way management in that area, if he can arrange for a trimming of the trees and bushes around the bridge, to improve visibility.
Source: The Toronto Star