Work will commence soon on upgrades to the two bridges that span the Chemainus River on the Trans-Canada Highway.
A $10.4-million contract for the project has been awarded to Kingston Construction Limited, based on the Lower Mainland. The extensive project is anticipated to start in the coming weeks and will be ongoing for a year and a half, with completion not until the winter of 2024.
The work includes seismic upgrades to both the northbound arch bridge and the southbound truss bridge. Deck and joint replacements as well as recoating are also in the works for the truss bridge.
Construction will begin with the truss bridge, affecting traffic heading south. Work will not start on the arch bridge until the completion of the truss bridge upgrades.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure indicates the upgrades are the final phase of the Chemainus bridges renewal and will extend the service life and reliability of the bridges.
During construction, delays will be minimized by maintaining continuous two-way traffic with one lane open in each direction. Existing sidewalks will remain available on both bridges for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists.
Advance notice of any traffic disruptions, including possible periods of single-lane alternating traffic and short intermittent full closures, will be provided.
Motorists are reminded to drive for conditions, observe speed limits in the construction zone and follow directions from traffic-control signage and personnel.
More than 27,000 drivers cross the bridges every day.
Updates will be available on Twitter at @DriveBC and online at: https://www.DriveBC.ca.
