Does anybody know of any bypases of French River bridge and how to get back on to the "C" trail going south. I'll be heding south late friday night and don't want to use taxi service over the bridge. Thanks for your help.

You have to head towards port Loring and take a secondary trail C105D (I think) which goes north just west of L. Nipissing. It's quite a way of of your way. Bro has used the taxi no problem. If all goes well the sled bridge will be up next winter.

Does anyone from the Parry Sound or Sudbury areas know if they started construction on the bridge over the French River? From the sketches I've seen, Looks like a big one *over 500' long I think. http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

Here is an artist's conception:

That looks like one scary bridge. http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

It's looks better than the picture of a bridge I saw in Snow Goer a year ago. It was on Quebec's north shore area. Halfway up the approach which wasn't gradual http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/nervous.gif you had to make a turn. It didn't look very safe.

http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/nervous.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

The company from the Soo that designed this bridge designed the one at Marathon over the Pic River.

Hopefully they will sign this scary bridge http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/nervous.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/nervous.gif

I guess the guy who charges $10/sled to trailer you across, will be going out of business.

Thats got to be an expensive project. *That will tap into the OFSC funds.

FishHog

My brother & sister in law were up there when the bridges were proposed. I think he said the guy that runs the shuttle (also runs a resort?) said that he didn't mind as it would probably result in more tourism in the area.

Beside the OFSC funding, there was some government funding too. On the cover of one of the sledding papers this winter there was a picture of the ribbon cutting for the Pickerel River bridge. Unfortunately, there wasn't any article inside about the project. I did read that the French River bridge was going thru the red tape process *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

My parents had to go thru hoops to replace a bridge at our bushlot. There had been one there since the 30s. MNR, MOE, Coast Guard, local township & county all had to approve it.

Thats our tax dollars at work.

FishHog

While on the subject of bridges did anyone hear how the bridge over hwy 11 in gravenhurst in coming along.I was through there on the may long weekend and it didn't look like anything had been started yet http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

Is this a snowmobile/recreation bridge? Send an email to the Muskoka Snow Region (MSR) they might know.

It is a sled/recreational bridge.They originally said it would have been done for last season but obviously it wasn't.When it is done it will greatly improve that area as it will eliminate
the use of several lakes and one real problem swampy section http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Hey Rev , have you heard the cost of that bridge ?

Here is some info from the Nov. 2001 issue of Trail Rider about the Pic River bridge:
368 ft long
cost over $1 million CDN
10.5 ft wide
will hold full size groomer & drag

oh well if thats all.... can I order 2 ? * *lol * On a more serious note *we need a bridge like that her so thats why I was interested in the cost...someday in the future ...maybe

Check out this website www.rowswellengineers.com

Revrnd
The bridge you are referring to I believe is the bridge that is about 15 miles from Baie Comeau on Quebec Trail #3. I have been acrossed it 4 times over the past 4 years. It is not as bad as it looks. The ferry that takes you across the St. Lawarence from Baie Comeau/Godbout to Matane is awesome. First time on it, there were 7 tractor-trailers, of which 2 were doubles, 50 cars and 50 sleds. I was last one on and there was room for 1 more. It is a 2 1/2 hour trip across. That is quite an experience. Check out www.tourismecote-nord.com I think there is a picture of the bridge and ferry boat on it.

Bill, I checked the website & no picture. If I can find the magazine, I'll scan the pic.

Revrnd

It's on the front of the Snowmobile Trail Map of the Cote-Nord region. Also when you open map up there is a bigger picture of it. A couple of interesting points about it.
The river doesn't freeze because it's too warm.
It's so warm because the warm is used 5 times coming down river to drive turbines.
125 miles up river is the large dam. Friend of mine worked at building it 40+ years ago. He told me reservoir is 100 miles long and 750 ft. deep. Part of it was formed by meteorite.
The river is the Manicouagan
If you can't find a picture, e-mail me your mailing address and I'll send you pictures I've taken of it.

Bill

Originally posted by z800rtx@Jun 13 2002, 06:00 PM
While on the subject of bridges did anyone hear how the bridge over hwy 11 in gravenhurst in coming along.I was through there on the may long weekend and it didn't look like anything had been started yet ???
Any update on this bridge or the French River one? I was near Gravenhurst this summer, but wasn't on Hwy. 11. I'll be thru there in Dec. so I'll find out.

Maybe if the Cochrane guys haven't fallen asleep on the way to the sled show in T.O. they'll notice if something is being built :D

Hey Indy, where you gonna put that bridge, on the west side side of town? :) A buddy and I ride your area when we can, last year wasn't good, but kudos to the grooming in your area, some of the best trails in S Ont. Also nice to see a clubhouse thats actually open all the time.

ttt

This bridge is now completed, isn't it? I look forward to possibly riding it this season.

The Pickerel River bridge was opened last season, but I haven't heard ANYTHING about the one over the French R. That's the one that will be 512' long check out www.rowswellengineers.com & click on snowmobile bridges.

Those are very nice looking bridges!!

Ahh, yes, it was the Pickeral River bridge that I had confused this with.

I got an email from Muskoka800 & he was talking to the owners of Cedar Valley & the French River bridge is to be completed for next season. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

another reason to up the price of our trail passes again............. :cussing:

I'll check my pics & see what agencies were involved & post the pic. FedNor (the feds) is one I remember. I imagine the local clubs did some fundraising too.

The MTO didn't have to build that 3rd lane on the bridge @ the Parry Sound info center or those GROOMER sized culverts @ the JR when they realigned 69 either.

Here's the sign @ the south end of the Pickerel River bridge. Yes some of our permit money may have gone into the building this & other bridges, but there is other funding involved too.

Hey Powder : If I was you I would be more concerned about the insurance rates increasing the permit prices than the money spent from the ofsc development fund to help build very needed bridges. I have never rode in either area's where these bridge are to be or have been built but if someone has gone through all the trouble of building them , I suspect that they were needed for safety or even to open up an area to allow snowmobiles to get across . There are many places that snowmobiles have to cross bridges on roads and this is very dangerous. The ofsc sets a certain amout of money away out of every permit sold for just this thing, it's called the development fund. It helps clubs or Districts build projects such as these 2 bridges, although most are not that large. There is no way that most Clubs could have the bridges and trails that they have without this development fund. And as Revrnd said they was many different organizations that contributed to the fund to build these bridges, not just your "permit dollars". Even our club has applied for 2 grants in the past , one to build a cemented low water crossing ( to get snowmobiles off a very dangerous road bridge) and another to purchase a Groomer tractor . There are many other times we could have applied for grants ( including this year ) but our Club is doing well and I would rather have the funding money spent on projects like the French or Pickerel Rivers bridges or go to other needy Clubs , so we do not apply.

One the insurance topic : ( not to get off topic here) We have already heard there is going to be a increase in the OFSC liability insurance and it may be substancial . The price of your permit is going to be higher next fall.... fact ! How much ? Right now no one knows . I proposed an idea at our Distict meeting that any increase should be tacked on as an insurance charge not just as a general permit price increase. To show you permit purchasers just where the money is going , ( we in our Club actually get less money this year than we did the previous year) . I'm not sure of the exact amount from each permit that goes to insurance but that should be stated on every permit as the liability insurance charge just to show everyone where all the money is going.
There was also some talk that to apply pressure to the Provincial goverment to change the insurance laws ( the root of all our problems ) and make insurance not only more affordable for the ofsc but for the general rider , that we boycot any grooming this coming season until something is done . Just like they have in a few other places, leave the groomers parked and watch chaos . I'm sure there are many other areas looking at the same idea, somethnig has to be done or this sport will die, at least in this Province.

The insurance issue ( like many others) is very complicated and neither you or I can solve it , but something needs to be done . To get it done we al need to pull together and get involved, not just sit back #####in.....

Another fact that TrailBlazer brough to our attension:
I believe it was LadyK that formed the insurance pettion that we all seen ealier this season. We have appx. 100,000 permit purchasers in this Province and the best they could come up with was less than 2000 signatures on this pettion. All these people that do the #####ing and wining about insurances must not care enough to sign their names and get something done. We all want a solution to this problem but won't sign a pettion to give their support. Can you imagine the respect we would have gotten as snowmobilers if 20,000 people would have signed it !

Well I have said enough for 1 day

I see in the Northern Sno Trails paper that the French River bridge has been fabricated & is ready for installation. No date was given for this to happen.

great i hope to trail from my house and cross that bridge.

the people that ran the shuttle service across the rivers must be or soon will be out of the shuttle business now, i guess the shuttle service was an additive to their motel and restaurant. i hope it doesn't hurt them bad but i think it will draw more sledders up there because there will be less hassle to cross the rivers.

Paul, my brother was asking the guy the guy that ran the shuttle about that when they used it. He said the consensus was that there would be more traffic thru the area as the route would "seamless".

i.ve never been up that way by sled but maybe this year.................. :D

We'll be passing thru the area on our way to the Soo on Friday, so I try to get some info on what's going on.

I forgot to ask about the brideg & we stopped for lunch just north of there. Has anyone heard of anything lately?