Repairs to the Victoria Street Bridge are taking longer than anticipated said an Emcon spokesperson.
Ken Lawson, the company's Kootenay Boundary division manager, says unforeseen structural issues extended repairs about a month past the initial estimated Oct. 16 date of completion.
“We had the original design drawings, but the job has been more intense than the plans showed,” explained Lawson. “There's been some changes throughout time that weren't foreseen, and of course, once we got into it, we had to carry on.”
Traffic over the Victoria Street Bridge will remain single-lane for the next four weeks.
Westbound lanes will be closed to vehicles for the second leg of the job, with crews on site five days a week.
The project, a collaboration between Emcon and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, was pushed up the priority list this year after being on the books for a number of years.
Ten joint armours were to be excavated and replaced over two bridge spans, new seals installed and concrete re-poured.
Those plans were under scrutiny Wednesday, when crews were evaluating three of the east side joint armours on the superstructure.
“We are looking at not removing the three middles ones, they are assessing them today,” Lawson told the Trail Times Wednesday morning.
“If they do (require replacing) it may not be done until spring because of the time constraints,” he added. “But it's safe to say the end two joint armours and joint seals will be replaced prior to winter and the other three assessed for replacement at a later date.”
Weather constraints may also affect remaining work, and due to varying winter shift requirements, Lawson said Emcon is exploring the option of bringing in more outside labour.
Overall, however, the job is turning out well, he added.
“The results have turned out as we expected and will help protect and prolong the life of the bridge.”