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Ice jam damages bridge in R.M. of Torch River

Apr 5, 2017 | 2:00 PM

Spring ice floes have shut down and damaged a bridge in the R.M. of Torch River.

Administrator Nathalie Hipkins told paNOW the bridge on Range Road 2150, just North of Highway 35 and the village of White Fox, suffered minor ice damage earlier this week, and was subsequently closed to traffic.

“We noticed it about 8 [a.m.] yesterday morning,” Hipkins said. “We do have a little bit of damage to the railing. It’s all iced up.”

The route is fairly high-traffic, Hipkins said, and is the primary highway access point for many local residents.

“We have barricades up and we do have a detour,” Hipkins said. She noted she could not say when the bridge might be reopened as there is little they can do at the moment beyond waiting for the ice to melt and inspecting the damage.

Patrick Boyle, spokesperson with the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, said ice jams have created issues in several areas around the province, particularly in the Hudson Bay and Battle River areas.

“With spring runoff underway floes are picking up in most of the systems across the province,” Boyle said, “particularly in the North there where things are really starting to move.”

Some rivers are more prone to ice jamming than others, Boyle explained, but it is very difficult to react in time to prevent a jam. Long-necked cranes can be used in some instances to break up ice, Boyle said, but in most cases the only option is to wait for the warm weather to melt away the ice.

“Exercise extreme caution if you’re working around or near the river,” Boyle said, noting ice floes are highly unstable and can present significant hazards.

 

–With files from Bryan Eneas

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews