Overview

Short-term bridges are clear-span bridges that are placed on Crown land (also called public land) to facilitate resource development or exploration on a temporary basis. These bridges cannot be left in place for more than 2 years.

The rules

You do not need occupational authority to construct a short-term bridge on Crown land if you follow all the rules. These rules are set out in Ontario Regulation 161/17 under the Public Lands Act. Additional requirements are set out under s. 21.1 of the Public Lands Act which provides authority to make Ontario Regulation 161/17.

Ontario Regulation 239/13, also under the Public Lands Act, says that if you follow all these rules you do not need a work permit to construct a short-term bridge on Crown land.

For full requirements refer to Ontario Regulation 161/17 and s. 21.1 of the Public Lands Act.

General requirements

  • You may construct a short-term bridge for natural resource development use only (such as renewable energy development or aggregate exploration).
  • You must submit for registration the location of the bridge and receive confirmation from the ministry at least 10 days before starting any work.
  • You must also submit all the other information required by the regulation and provide the termination date of the occupation.
  • The short-term bridge can remain in place for no more than 2 years. It is not possible to renew or extend your registration at the same location for the same short-term bridge.

Design requirements

Before registering the bridge, you must take photos of the proposed location and have a professional engineer licenced under the Professional Engineers Act prepare design drawings for the bridge.

The bridge must be designed to:

  • safely pass a 25-year flood event plus at least 0.5 metres freeboard
  • be clear-span and not disturb the bed or banks of any watercourse or valley
  • not require watercourse realignment
  • meet safety requirements and be safe for use for the duration of its use

When constructing the bridge, you must:

  • not place fill or disturb vegetation below the high-water mark
  • only use clean and non‑erodible materials
  • only use pre-cast concrete
  • not conduct blasting or pile driving
  • install appropriate erosion and sediment controls
  • not construct the bridge on top of an existing bridge or to supplement any part of an existing bridge

Signage requirements

You must install safety signs and markers:

  • if the bridge is at any time unsafe to use or required inspections have not been completed saying the bridge is unavailable for use
  • while the bridge is in place, saying that the bridge is temporary and the anticipated date of removal which must be updated if the removal date changes
  • immediately after the short-term bridge is removed, saying that the bridge has been removed
  • as required by the decommissioning plan prepared by the professional engineer

Inspection and reporting requirements

If you discover an artifact (such as a stone tool), you must stop work and contact your local ministry work centre by email immediately. If you are not sure what you have discovered, you should contact the ministry

After construction

  • The short-term bridge must be inspected immediately after construction by a professional engineer to confirm it is safe to use.
  • Within 10 days of construction of the short-term bridge you must have prepared the following report and plan:
    • A professional engineer’s report confirming the bridge has been constructed in accordance with prescribed design specifications and is safe for use and photos of the bridge as constructed.
    • A decommissioning plan sealed and signed by a professional engineer that explains the steps that will be taken, including signage to be installed, when the short-term bridge is removed. This plan must be updated as required during the period of occupancy.
  • The short-term bridge must be inspected after 1 year to confirm it is safe for continued use and a report about the inspection must be sealed and signed by a professional engineer.
  • If the short-term bridge becomes unsafe at any time you must provide notice with the required details to your local ministry work centre by email.

Removing the bridge

  • If you want to remove your short-term bridge early, you must submit notice to your local ministry work centre by email at least 30 days prior to removal.
  • Within 15 days after implementing the decommissioning plan you must have a professional engineer seal and sign a report describing the decommissioning work completed, including any safety measures installed and document the steps taken with photos.
  • You must submit the following within 15 days after the short-term bridge has been removed:
    • design drawings for the bridge and photos of the proposed location (for example, photos of the bridge location prior to construction)
    • inspection report prepared within 10 days of construction
    • decommissioning plan
    • 1 year inspection report
    • report documenting implementation of decommissioning plan

Additional requirements

All these inspection and reporting requirements must be retained by you for one year after the removal of the short-term bridge and made available to the ministry if requested.

If your proposed short-term bridge is in an area designated as a restricted area under Ontario Regulation 150/12 under the Public Lands Act, you would not be able to construct a short-term bridge under Ontario Regulation 161/17. Instead, you would need to obtain a permit under the Public Lands Act.

Registering for a short-term bridge does not exempt you from needing other authorizations.

Learn more about these additional requirements.

View active registrations

Check the Crown Land Viewer to find out what has already been registered on public lands.

How to register

Step 1: Register

  1. Use the Crown Land Viewer mapping tool to confirm Crown land availability and determine the geographic point of your proposed short-term bridge and local ministry work centre.
  2. Fill out the Registration Form for Short-term Bridges on Public Lands and complete all required fields.

Step 2: Receive confirmation

  1. You will receive confirmation of registration by email.
  2. Save this email and follow any instructions it contains.

Step 3: Confirmation of short-term bridge removal

Once you have removed your short-term bridge, submit confirmation including all required reports and photos.

When you need a bridge management agreement

If you cannot meet all of our rules or you need to leave your bridge in place for longer than 2 years, then you will need to enter into a bridge management agreement with the ministry.

Contact your local ministry work centre for more information on how to request a bridge management agreement.

You may be charged and fined if you do not register before installing a short-term bridge or you do not follow the rules.

Pollution management

Suspected contamination

If you suspect that the area could be contaminated, you should contact your local Ministry of Natural Resources work centre.

Using machinery

Machinery should be kept in clean condition and free from fluid leaks.

To avoid the spread of invasive species follow the Clean Equipment Protocol for Industry (PDF).

Report a spill

To report a spill, call the Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060.

Related requirements

Before you start any work, find out whether additional authorizations are required.

For example, you may need other authorizations from the ministry, including:

You may also need to check with:

Installation of a short-term bridge on Crown land does not give you any right, title or interest in the land.