With urging from the District of Sicamous for immediate action, the B.C. government says the Bruhn Bridge replacement project is taking a step forward.
Stating that delays on the bridge work are “gross negligence,” Sicamous council made a resolution on Nov. 22 to send a letter asking that the project go to tender now.
In a Dec. 12 media release, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the project has moved to the “next phase,” with the province inviting potential builders to pre-qualify to participate in the project. Prequalified contractors will be announced in February 2024, followed by an invitation for them to bid on the construction tender.
The district was informed earlier this year that the tendering process for the project would proceed in 2023.
The project continues to be in the detailed design phase, and the ministry said in the Dec. 12 release that the province is working with Splatsin First Nation on its development, noting the significance of the area to them and the need to minimize environmental impacts. Splatsin held a Bruhn Bridge Community Engagement meeting on Monday, Dec. 11, which was for band members only.
Once complete, the project will see the intersection of Old Spallumcheen Road on Highway 1 closed, with local traffic rerouted under the new bridge with right-in/right-out access to the highway at Old Spallumcheen. Additionally, the design will include a multi-use path to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the bridge.
All told, the ministry said the project will improve 2.5 kilometres of Highway 1, including 1.9 km of four-laning, replacing the bridge with a four-lane structure and upgraded intersections between Old Sicamous Road and Silver Sands Road. The cost estimate is $224 million, which includes as much as $91 million from the federal government through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund.
Read more: Sicamous council finds ‘gross negligence’ in Highway 1 bridge work delays
Read more: CSRD: Delayed Highway 1 bridge replacement at Sicamous poses ‘serious hazard’