RED BRIDGE – It all must come down, MOTI says of remaining structure

To borrow from the words of home renovation personality Mike Holmes, “It’s all gotta go.”

When Holmes says it, he’s talking about a house, or a shed or a back deck. When the B.C. Ministry of Transportation says it, they’re talking about the Red Bridge.

As of today (Oct. 8, 2024), any hopes of saving any of the structure of the arson-destroyed bridge on either end have been dashed. A spokesman for a mass-timber bridge restoration and construction firm had said it might be possible to keep the parts of the bridge that are still standing but MOTI says no.

According to parallel news statements from the City and Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc, MOTI has decided the remaining parts of the bridge must be demolished and removed “due to structural and safety concerns and to support the cleanup of debris from the South Thompson River.

“Due to the complex nature of the removal, utilizing cranes, barges, and heavy equipment, this work is expected to continue through the winter,” the City said.

Yesterday, (Oct. 7, 2024), TteS band councillor Nikki Fraser issued her own media release via the TteS website with the news about the demolition of the remaining bridge structure.

Fraser said the work is already underway “in close collaboration” with TteS and the City.

TteS will be onsite during demolition, she said.

MOTI is monitoring traffic volumes including Highway 5 and the Mt. Paul Way intersection, Halston Bridge and Columbia Street. The ministry will coordinate with the City on signal timing recommendations.

As of today (Oct. 8), Riverside Park beach, Riverside Park and Waterfront Park are reopened to the public. Pioneer Park and the Pioneer Park boat launch will remain closed until further notice.

McArthur Island boat launch will be reopened as water levels permit.

Intermittent closures of the Rivers Trail are expected due to work at the bridge site.