Residents waiting on bridge repair

People in the town of St. Adolphe, Man., are frustrated that the main bridge serving their community is still unusable after being damaged during spring flooding.

The Pierre Delorme Bridge, which crosses the Red River at Highway 210, was closed Aug. 21 after an inspection revealed a pier supporting the structure sunk three metres and caused the deck to buckle. Two other piers were also identified as unstable.

"It makes people wonder what's happening. They see no visible signs of any physical activity going on on the structure itself and they wonder when it will all come to an end," said Bob Stefaniuk, mayor of the Rural Municipality of Richot, which includes St. Adolphe.

Commuters, who have had to drive a prolonged detour in order to get into Winnipeg, about 14 kilometres north of the town, are growing frustrated and stressed, Stefaniuk said.

'That bridge is our last access out of town. We will have no choice but to be evacuated way earlier than if we had the bridge.' St. Adolphe resident Chris Poirier

Although work will begin on the bridge later this month, the repairs won't make it operational until at least December 2010, he said.

Resident Chris Poirier is concerned about what might happen this spring if there's more flooding in town and people don't have the bridge as a way out.

"That bridge is our last access out of town. We will have no choice but to be evacuated way earlier than if we had the bridge," he said.

Temporary river crossing considered

It's too early to say what the flood prediction is for the spring, according to Manitoba government officials.

But in that event, a temporary crossing over the bridge could be built, said a senior engineer with the province.

"We are looking at other options such as creating a temporary access over the bridge at St. Adolphe but that will depend on the weather and how the construction goes," said Ron Weatherburn, the head of construction and maintenance for the province.

A tender has been issued for the first phase of repairs, which includes stabilizing the slope and putting in a new pier, he said.

Although the repairs won't be completed until next December, it's a much better option than the four-year wait that residents would have endured had the government chosen to build a brand new structure, he said.

The province had initially considered allowing the bridge to collapse into the river under its own weight but the rate of slippage slowed and the bridge stabilized.

The province then thought about using explosives to aid the collapse but decided on Aug. 27 that it could remove and replace the damaged portions and save the structure instead.