THUNDER BAY — Pedestrian access to two bridges that cross the Kaministiquia River on Highway 588 between Kakabeka Falls and Nolalu will be restricted as work resumes this week on an $11.6-million overhaul of the structures.
The project, which is being overseen by Rosslyn's LH North Ltd. and LH Crane and Rigging Ltd., is expected to be completed sometime next year, a Ministry of Transportation (MTO) spokeswoman said.
The contract for the project was awarded in May of 2022.
In a separate project, repairs to a bridge that crosses the same river west of Thunder Bay on Highway 130 are to begin this spring.
Sudbury-based Teranorth Construction and Engineering is to oversee that $1.7-million upgrade, which is to include a bridge deck replacement, structural steel coating and minor concrete repairs, the ministry says.
"Minor traffic delays can be expected during construction as the bridge will be down to a single lane of traffic controlled by traffic lights," the MTO spokeswoman said.
Work on the Highway 130 bridge is expected to be completed later this year.
Meanwhile, the ministry continues to partner with Minnesota's transportation department regarding the ongoing rehabilitation of the Pigeon River International Bridge, which is jointly owned by the state and the Ontario government.
In 2023, the province paid US$3.6 million for its share of the cost of replacing the bridge's concrete deck, as well as upgrading the roadway on the Canadian side, the MTO spokeswoman said. The bridge is now open to two lanes of traffic.
The bridge's "sub-structure" is to be repaired this year, including refurbishment to pier columns and footings.
An earlier MTO notice about that part of the bridge project said the proposed work "may result in temporary, minor impacts to marine navigation."
Public comments regarding that aspect of the project must be submitted to Transport Canada within a 30-day period that began on Feb. 8, when the MTO notice was posted.
Comments can be submitted by email to nppont-ppnont@tc.gc.ca.
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
