Assessment to begin on St. Adolphe bridge

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This article was published 27/08/2009 (6098 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – The buckling bridge spanning the Red River at St. Adolphe has stabilized to the point that provincial staff can begin assessing the extent of the damage and whether the structure can be repaired, a provincial official said Thursday.

The Pierre Delorme Bridge was closed Aug. 21 after maintenance crews noticed problems with the structure’s integrity. One of the piers suddenly sunk more than three metres and caused the bridge deck to buckle.

Ron Weatherburn, head of construction and maintenance with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation (MIT), said the government still doesn’t know whether the bridge can be fixed or if an entirely new structure will have to be built.

But the situation has now stabilized to the point that crews can begin to dismantle damaged sections and assess the damage to the rest of the bridge.

It’s not yet clear how long the process would take or how much it might cost.

The closure of the bridge means that motorists cannot access St. Adolphe from Highway 75.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca