Willow Cale bridge reopened
After a false start and a long wait, the Willow Cale Road Bridge over Haggith Creek was reopened on Thursday.
The reopening will make life easier for a significant number of commuters and others who use the road to get in and out of the BCR Industrial site.
“The city thanks the businesses in the area and the users of Willow Cale Road for their patience during the repair operation,” city hall said.
The bridge had been closed since late last summer after it was discovered that ground beneath the new span was moving. Over the last few months, as part of a plan to preserve the steel girder bridge, Ruskin Construction of Prince George installed new support structures at the south end.
The bridge was built to replace a culvert that had been installed in Haggith Creek when the Willow Cale Forest Service Road was first built.
Construction of the replacement crossing began in September 2016 and the bridge opened in March 2017.
The failing culvert was removed last summer while the unstable ground was detected and the bridge closed on Sept. 1.
Crews installed a new culvert back into the creek and covered it with about five metres of fill to stop the movement of ground under the bridge and allow the bridge restoration work to begin.
The full cost of the project will be presented at a future city council meeting.
As reported in the city’s current annual report, $4.3 million had been spent on the bridge project to the end of 2017.