Corran Ban Bridge Dredging Project Aims to Improve Health of Winter River

Residents in the area of the Winter River are hoping a project being carried out by the province will help improve the health of the waterway over the next few years. The Department of Transportation and Public Works is in the process of dredging beneath the Corran Ban Bridge in order to improve tidal flow, and that should have a positive impact on this very important Island river.

“The Department’s Environment Section is always looking at ways to improve and protect the condition of Island waterways as they relate to transportation infrastructure and construction activities,” says Minister of Transportation and Public Works Ron MacKinley. “The work we’re doing at Corran Ban Bridge is a fine example of those efforts.”

The work at Corran Ban involves dredging a sill made up of sediment and organic material located beneath the bridge. The removal of the sill will improve tidal flow and mixing upstream, and that should have a positive impact on the health of the estuary. The Department researched the project thoroughly and used independent experts to determine what it could do to help improve conditions as they relate to the Corran Ban Bridge. Those experts determined that dredging the sill would be the best approach.

“I am extremely pleased to see this work moving ahead,” says John Hughes, a member of the local watershed group. “The Department has really stepped up to do what it can to help improve the health of this very important river.”

The project will likely wrap up early next week.