A project to repair the Bailey Bridge on the Saloompt Road is expected to be rescheduled to start in the spring of 2022. The repairs will close off vehicle traffic across the Bella Coola River for about four weeks.
Initially, the repair work was to start in January.
Residents living on the north side of the bridge have aired concerns about emergency access at that time as there will only be foot traffic allowed via a catwalk.
Anne Fletcher was one of the residents who wondered about the January timing.
“We have a lot of power outages in the winter and are wondering how BC Hydro crews would be able to get over here if needed,” she said, noting it is important the ministry ‘genuinely’ consult with residents such as herself, who live on the other side of the bridge.
In its project description, the ministry of transportation and infrastructure notes it plans to replace the existing two jump spans with a single span concrete girder which will provide “safety and reliability for decades to come.”
Currently the bridge has a 180-foot Acrow main span and two timber jump spans at the south end.
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