Jemseg Bridge decommissioning set to start

Work has started on decommissioning the JemsegBridge that was closed in May 2015 due to safety concerns.

The spans at each end of the bridge are to be removed and cul-de-sacsconstructed at each end of the bridge to allow traffic to turn, says the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Debris netting is to be installed under five of the remaining spans.

• Jemseg bridge recommended for closure in 2013, report shows
• Closed Jemseg bridge may not be repaired, Roger Melanson says
• Jemseg bridge closed for repairs after inspection

The spans being removed do not go over the Jemseg River so there is no risk to boaters,

The contractor has been on site since mid-August and is expected to be finished by the end of October.

The department has budgeted $540,000 for the work, which was announced in the department's2016-17 capital budget.

Closure recommended in 2013

In 2013, a government inspector recommended the province consider demolishing the bridge, which was built around 1960.

The inspector reported the bridge had "major deterioration throughout multiple components, and if it is going to remain open to traffic will need a major rehab as soon as possible.

"The bridge should be considered for closure and demolition."

The department closed the bridge 17 months later, on May 22, 2015, one day after a follow-up inspection on the underside of the structure.

The 650-metre long bridge used to be the main Trans-Canada Highway bridge between Fredericton and Moncton. However, the opening of the new four-lane Trans-Canada in 2001 relegated that section of highway to secondary status.