Officials to repair rather than explode faltering bridge

The Manitoba government intends to dismantle and repair portions of the damaged bridge in St. Adolphe rather than use explosives to knock it down entirely.

Disassembling and removing three of seven of the Pierre Delorme Bridge's piers is expected to take two or three weeks, said Ron Weatherburn, executive director of highway construction and maintenance for Manitoba Highways.

When that work is complete, there will be an attempt to shore up the heavily-eroded riverbank. Crews will then determine whether the rest of the bridge can be salvaged or if it will still need to come down, forcing the province to start over from scratch.

'The government is committed to having a bridge there. The question right now is can we repair the existing bridge or do we need a new structure?' Ron Weatherburn, Manitoba Highways

"Right now we are hopeful that we can save the majority of the bridge, but it is still an unstable bank out there and we are proceeding with caution and with safety in mind for everyone out there," said Weatherburn.

"The government is committed to having a bridge there. The question right now is can we repair the existing bridge or do we need a new structure? That's certainly going to partially depend on how this first step goes, and then we'll move ahead with a strategy after that."

The bridge, which carries major traffic across the Red River and connects two major north-south routes Highways 59 and 75 was closedAug. 20 after an inspection revealed one of its massive supporting piers had shifted, causing severe structural instability.

The pier, on the west side of the span, began to give way because of riverbank erosion and high water. In the days following, it started to sink, dropping more than three metres and causing the bridge deck to buckle.

Officials feared its total failure would come as early as Aug. 22 but the rate of slippage of the pier has slowed, Weatherburn said. Still, two of six piers appear to have shifted slightly once again, he added.

Just how long it will take to get a usable bridge back in place is still unknown. For the foreseeable future it will remain closed, said Weatherburn. Concrete barriers remain in place so motorists do not access the bridge.

Security has also been stationed there around the clock. Motorists, boaters and the general public are reminded not to travel on, walk on or boat under the bridge at any time due to significant safety issues.

There is no word yet on how much the repair work will cost.