New Placentia bridge a step closer to reality

A new bridge for the Placentia area is one step closer to reality.

On Tuesday, the provincial government awarded the $40.6-million contract for the construction of a new vertical lift bridge.

As well as building the new bridge, H.J. O'Connell Construction will also remove the existing Sir Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge, and work on the road approaches from Placentia and Jerseyside.

The work was re-tendered to ensure a competitive process, and received three bids. The successful bid is $2.5 million lower than that received from a sole bidder in 2012.

The bridge, built in 1961, wasplagued with problems last year. Government made repairs as a band-aid solution which cost about $2 million.

Work on the new bridge is expected to begin in the spring and will take three years to complete. During that time, the existing bridge will remain intact until the new bridge is built andoperational.

The federal government is contributing $8 million to the project.