Arnold's Brook Bridge Construction Starts July 18

Construction to replace the Arnold's Brook bridge on Trunk 28 in South Bar, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, will begin on Monday, July 18, as scheduled.

The bridge is in poor shape and its condition deteriorated further over the winter. Transportation and Public Works' engineers recommended the bridge be replaced this summer, before school buses are back on the road.

Tenders were called based on an accelerated construction schedule of six weeks. The contract was awarded to Van Zutphen Construction Inc., with penalties attached for every day the bridge is delayed past Aug. 28.

While the bridge is being built, a detour via Lingan Road is available for motorists travelling on Trunk 28 to Sydney or New Waterford.

At the request of some residents, the Department of Transportation and Public Works agreed to review its earlier decision to create a detour rather than install a temporary panel bridge.

However, revising the construction plan would have caused significant delays in completing the project, and would have added significant costs.

The plan is consistent with other projects around the province where the construction schedule is relatively short, the cost of a temporary bridge is high, and a viable detour is available.

"We recognize this detour is an inconvenience for local residents, and with that in mind, we agreed to pay extra to get this bridge completed faster than usual," said Ron Russell, Minister of Transportation and Public Works.

"Replacing Arnold's Brook bridge as quickly as possibly is our priority," Mr. Russell said. "The sooner we get this job underway the sooner a new bridge will be in place for a long time to come."

The current structure's abutments have been settling for several years and movement of the bridge has increased over the past year, making the replacement a high priority. Beginning July 18, work to remove the existing bridge will begin. After that is completed, installation of concrete footings will take place, and a metal-pipe arch will be installed in the location of the existing creosote structure. Construction is scheduled to be completed by Sunday, Aug. 28.