You could say we are the James Bond of bridge demolition, our company, Priestly Demolition Inc., or PDI for short, gets the job done right. You may have noticed our machines on each side of a missing bridge along the 400 series highways recently. That’s because we are the best at overnight bridge demolition. We take to a bridge like a pack of hungry wolves. Our team rolls out at night and is cleaned up, minus a bridge, by morning.
Each bridge has its challenge and we face each one head-on. A lot of those challenges are bridges over bodies of water. We had to use ingenuity in the case of the Nipigon Bridge, which spanned 270 feet over a river. In this particular case, we utilized our in-house engineer along with our sub-trade Western Mechanical. We focused on a methodology that allowed the bridge to be rolled off of the existing piers to minimize the risk of debris falling in the waterway to the Nipigon River below, which was about a 100 foot drop. Add the arctic northern Canadian winter air and it became a bit of a challenge for us. We achieved our goal with no lost time and recycled 100% of the materials. The Nipigon job actually won us the prestigious World Demolition Award in 2016 against other competing countries.
Another bridge we tackled over a body of water was the demolition of bridge structures over the Trent Severn waterway, again through the winter months. Our approach was to demolish the northbound bridge by installing barges in the river. This allowed us to approach the demolition from above and below. The barges were used to protect the water channel from the falling bridge deck rubble being hammered down, it as well created a work platform for the machines to sit on during the demolition.
We do however offer services that go beyond bridge demolition. PDI is a multi-disciplined demolition and ancillary services contractor, we offer a broad range of services including demolition, excavation and brownfield remediation, custom concrete crushing, hazardous material abatement, asset recovery, and salvage, as well as emergency response services.
What happens when a bridge falls into a river? In the case of the Port Bruce bridge collapse in early 2018, you call us to recover the debris. Rapid floodwaters caused the collapse of the Imperial Road Bridge over Catfish Creek, taking an unsuspecting tow truck driver down with it into the fast-moving waters below. Once the truck and driver were safely removed, we were called in to removal the collapsed bridge. The best course of action was to send the machines directly into the river in an effort to remove the structure in the most expeditious and least environmentally damaging fashion as possible. All safeguards were put in place to ensure the safety of our team, and constant communication was maintained to ensure the safety of our team and the environment. After we were done, the site was clean and ready for the county to build their new bridge, and re-connect the communities on either side of the river.
This year we celebrated our 25th Anniversary and in doing so, re-connected with our core values: Family, Safety, Innovation, and Integrity. We are founded on these values that drive what we do for our clients and for each other. At the core, we understand the value of people and encourage a culture of safety, hard work, quality, and teamwork supported by a solid family foundation.
We like a challenge and we have the team and the ingenuity to see a job through no matter how unique or impossible it may seem. We demolish busy highway bridges overnight, we can work over extreme heights, or work on a barge. We can work in any Canadian weather from heat, rain, sleet, and snow.
Priestly Demolition Inc. has become a trusted name in the construction industry. We have worked on high profile jobs including Pearson Airport, Maple Leaf Gardens, Union Station, Bank of Canada, Ottawa Conference Centre, and the CN Tower to name a few.
We are truly “A Force to be Wrecking With!”
