By Angela Brown

Finlayson Island vehicle bridge to be closed Wednesday

Jun 19, 2018 | 12:00 PM

The Finlayson Island vehicle bridge will be closed Wednesday while workers inspect the structure and take samples for a study, the Town of Battleford reported at its Monday meeting. The north side pedestrian bridge will remain open.

Mayor Ames Leslie said he anticipates the bridge will be closed for just one day.

“It depends on how in-depth they need to go with their studies of the deck and the trusses,” Leslie said after the meeting. “We’re led to believe it won’t take much more than two days. In a perfect world, hopefully, they will be in and out. Wednesday is the day they are supposed to go in and by Thursday they will have it back open.”

Public Works Manager Eric Bilanski said workers will complete some structural testing underneath the decking while the bridge is closed.

“They want to do a little more intensive testing this year, so that’s why they are doing this portion,” he said.

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Leslie said the company working on the project expects to have the bridge study finished by around September to present to council.  

“[We will] hopefully have a decision on what needs to be done by spring, in time for the construction season,” he said.

In the meantime, Leslie said the bridge is still fine for residents to drive over while the study is being completed.

“I wouldn’t take a semi across it because it’s over the eight tonne-rating, but it’s still safe to go across,” the mayor said.

Leslie said he has been hearing mixed responses from residents when considering the future of the aging bridge.

“Some of the people who have lived in the community for a long time would love to see the money invested into the bridges to keep them open,” he said. “Some of the avid outdoor people would love to see the access to Finlayson Island remain, especially in the wintertime, to drive across and go cross-country skiing.”

On the other hand, Leslie said some believe it’s a band-aid solution. They are concerned about putting excessive amounts of money into the vehicle bridge and would rather see the money invested into a walking-only bridge. Leslie said once the town understands the scope of what needs to be done to the bridge and the estimated cost to upgrade, it the town will be able to consult with the community to determine the best recourse to take.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW