Victoria Bridge Reopens to Traffic Friday

On Friday, December 18, the Victoria Bridge on Route 116 in Victoria by the Sea will reopen to all traffic. The Department of Transportation and Public Works began work to replace the bridge at the end of August.

“The old bridge had reached the end of its service life and needed to be replaced for the safety of road users,” says Minister of Transportation and Public Works Ron MacKinley. “I want to thank the residents of Victoria by the Sea for their cooperation and patience while this project was being completed.”

The project forced the closure of one of the two entrances into the community. That meant changes to speed limits on the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) to allow for safer turns into, and out of, the only remaining entrance point. When the bridge re-opens Friday, speed limits on the affected section of the TCH will return to normal.

The old bridge was built in 1953. It has been replaced with a new steel beam bridge with a concrete deck. The bridge length has increased by 15 metres, the banks have been stabilized with armour stone and old sheet piles have been removed. The changes will allow for one hundred percent tidal exchange.