(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Traffic concerns

New and improved Buckland bridge officially opens

Dec 22, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Roughly 14 months after the closure of its predecessor, a new and improved Buckland bridge is officially open to traffic.

The most notable difference, is the use of steel as opposed to wood. Reeve Don Fyrk was among those who drove the structure on Wednesday and told paNOW he was quite impressed.

“What I see is a beautiful bridge. It’s straightened out and matches the road. We built the road up too so there’s hardly any hills left,” he said.

Owned by the Rural Municipality (RM), the old bridge was closed in October, 2020.

While the initial plans were to keep it open until construction, mother nature had a different plan. As a result of ice damming the previous spring, the water backed up over the rails causing sizable ice chunks to collide into the bridge compromising the structure further. Council essentially felt it was best for safety purposes just to shut it down. Despite delays related to waits for funding and materials, Fyrk said he has always been confident.

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“I knew it was going to happen I just didnt know when,” he said, adding the pandemic contributed to delays.

The final price tag came in around $2.4 million, roughly $900,00 more than the original estimate. The price was lowered to $2 million, following negotiations between the RM and the contractor.

A look up at the new structure. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

As part of the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream (RNIS) of the Investing in Canada program, the RM received $500,000 from the federal government. Another $433,000 came from gas tax
money, and just about $485,000 was covered by the province, under its Municipal Economic Enhancement Program.

The RM paid the remaining difference, with about $500,000 coming from reserves. The money had originally been set aside for a new shop. Fyrk plans to hold an official ribbon cutting ceremony early in the new year.

Safety concerns alleviated

The bridge opening is good news for commuters who have expressed frustration in the past about having to use Mcleod Road to access Highway 3.

In addition to describing the gravel road as a “washboard,” residents feared a tragic event.

With no passing lane there off Highway 3, there was uncertainty as to what might happen on any given day if someone turning left onto the road, has to watch out for oncoming traffic, as well as semis wanting to pass.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell