At a news conference held today, the Department of Transportation and Public Works updated the public as to the current status of the Vernon Bridge.
Built in 1999, the Vernon Bridge successfully addressed the issue of tidal flush through the Vernon River, which at the time was suffering from an insufficient tidal flush which jeopardized fishing activities along the river and was the subject of community concern. Independent testing of the river after the project's completion verified that the maximum tidal flushing possible is occurring which has addressed the issue of tidal flush.
Upon inspection by staff, some minor structural movement at the top of the sheet piles has been isolated, and temporary supports are now being put in place to minimize any further movement of the bridge for the short term. The Department has had engineering specialists review the situation, and a series of repair options are now under consideration.
"Steps are being taken to address deficiencies and minimize inconvenience to the travelling public in the most expedient and cost-effective manner possible. Further, the Department has reviewed the work currently being done with the local fishing community in order to minimize disruption to their operations. The continued cooperation of the local fishing community and the travelling public in helping resolve this issue is appreciated," said Transportation and Public Works Minister Don MacKinnon.
Regardless of which repair option is selected, further work on the bridge is anticipated to take approximately four to six weeks to complete. During that time, there will be traffic disruptions experienced, and the reduction of these disruptions to the travelling public will be a high priority for the department. Once repair plans are finalized, the public will be further advised on future developments with the project.