Lantz residents call for fix to deteriorating bridge

Residents in Lantz are calling on the province of Nova Scotia to find a permanent fix for their one-way bridge and say it's in such disrepair they're scared they'll puncture tires by driving over it.

The province has a five-year plan to fix up some of the worst bridges in Nova Scotia, but Hyde's Bridge on Dutch Settlement Road in Lantz is not on that list leaving locals to find another way over the Shubenacadie River.

"We don't use the bridge. We usually go the other way, said Anna Taylor, who has lived in the area for 35 years.

Once in a while we will, but it's so rough and we're scared we'll put a tire out if we go off the tread you know, go off those boards. We're scared we'll puncture a tire."

Taylor said the government should put in a double lane bridge instead.

Workers with the provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal do regular maintenance on the bridge, but this has recently meant putting down a few wooden planks over the splitting wood. The existing planks on the bridge were nailed down a couple of months ago.

Josh Molnar, who drives over the bridge at least four times a day, said the regular maintenance is not up to par.

They used to paint it every couple of years and now they don't do any painting or maintenance. They just basically replace boards," he said.

"This time they found the easy way out and just ran a couple boards length wise for vehicles to drive across."

The Department of Transportation said there are no plans to rebuild the bridge any time soon but they will continue with regular maintenance.