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Disasters
MPR News Staff

Bridge collapse closes Ontario rail line, just north of Minnesota border

A damaged bridge across a waterway
A rail bridge across a channel of Rainy Lake, east of Fort Frances, Ontario, and just north of the U.S.-Canada border, was damaged after part of the structure collapsed on Wednesday.
Courtesy of the Ontario Provincial Police

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A railway bridge in Ontario — just north of the Minnesota border — collapsed Wednesday, blocking rail and boat traffic.

Local officials and CN Railway said there were no reports of injuries. The collapse did not happen while a train was crossing.

The span is known as the Five-Mile Bridge, crossing a channel of Rainy Lake a few miles northeast of Fort Frances. It’s on a rail line linking the CN network to the Port of Thunder Bay, and does not affect the main rail line crossing the border at Fort Frances and Ranier.

Photos from the scene posted online showed part of the bridge that allowed it to lift, to let larger boats pass underneath, collapsed and caused damage to the tracks. The town of Fort Frances asked boaters to stay away from the area.

CN Railway said Thursday that crews have started repair work, but the bridge remains closed for now.

The railway also said that “environmental crews have contained and are recovering a release of biodegradable, non-toxic hydraulic oil related to the incident.” CN thanked local first responders for their response to the collapse.

With the bridge unable to open, barges and large boats are not able to traverse between the southern and northern parts of Rainy Lake, a sprawling body of water covering more than 200,000 acres along the international border.

The operator of a boat taxi service used to shuttle people and goods around the lake told CBC Thunder Bay that the bridge collapse will have a significant effect on the business.