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Province responds to concerns with prolonged Highway 1 bridge replacement in Sicamous

Updated information on Bruhn Bridge project includes notice sent to federal Transport Minister
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The province has provided an update on the Bruhn Bridge after the District of Sicamous stressed the urgency of the Highway 1 structure’s replacement.

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) staff recently shared updated information about the project after receiving a letter from Sicamous council, with support from the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, urging the province to prioritize bridge replacement work as the bridge is part of the Trans-Canada Highway and has been a safety hazard to drivers and pedestrians for years.

READ MORE: Province urged to prioritize Highway 1 bridge replacement at Sicamous

READ MORE: No further delays: Regional district echoes safety concerns around Highway 1 bridge near Sicamous

MOTI stated in a project update that the bridge is currently in a detailed design phase, and in December 2021 tree clearing and brushing work was completed. The project has $244.5 million in provincial and federal funding and a one-bridge design continues to be the plan for the replacement. Up to $91.08 million of the funding comes from the Government of Canada under the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund.

The bridge will include about 1.9 kilometres of four-lane work on Highway 1, replacement of the existing bridge with a four-lane bridge, and improvements to the intersection at Old Sicamous Road and Silver Sands Road.

MOTI has issued the required Notice of Proposed R.W. Bruhn Bridge Replacement stating that an application has been made to the federal Minister of Transport for the planned work.

Utility relocation and construction tender is planned to begin this year, and further engagement will take place with Splatsin to finalize the design, taking into account cultural significance and ensuring impact is minimized.

The next steps of the project are an archaeological assessment, property acquisition, environmental and navigable water approvals, obtaining a strategy for traffic management during construction, and finalizing documents and drawings. All updates will be posted to the project webpage as they happen.

Comments can be made about the work’s effect on marine navigation on the Government of Canada website until Feb. 25, 2023 at 12 a.m. Written comments can also be mailed to Transport Canada, 800 Burrard St., Suite 820, Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 2J8.

READ MORE: District sets $265 fee for business licence to operate short-term rental in Sicamous


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rebecca.willson@saobserver.net

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Rebecca Willson

About the Author: Rebecca Willson

I took my first step into the journalism industry in November 2022 when I moved to Salmon Arm to work for the Observer and Eagle Valley News. I graduated with a journalism degree in December 2021 from MacEwan University in Edmonton.
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