Pakenham, Ontario, is a small town just west and north of
Ottawa. In 1901, the  engineering
firm of O'Toole and Keating built the only five arch stone bridge of its
kind in all of
North America.
For the princely sum of $14,500, at the time, the bridge was built
268 feet in length, 25 feet width and 22 feet high. Each of the
five arches are 40 feet wide and the piers are each 8 feet thick!
The largest stone in the bridge is 9 feet long and 2 1/2 feet square,
and weighs over 5 tons.
The bridge was refurbished by the province in 1984 and if you have
never seen it, you are missing a gem.
Not only is the bridge a treat for the eyes but the bridge's
surroundings are equally magnificent. The bridge is located at one of the most beautiful places in the
Mississippi Valley, built over spectacular rapids. |
