Swinging bridge coming back to Souris

The Swinging Bridge is returning to Souris, Man., though with much less bounce.

The 177-metre landmarksuspension bridgethe longest of its kind in Canada wasintentionally cut down duringflooding of the Souris River in 2011.

There were fears the rushing waters could pull out the bridge's anchors and damage an important earth dike, putting the town at risk.

Last week, atender was finally awarded to build a new bridge and Mayor Darryl Jackson is hopeful construction will begin as soon as possible and it will be in place for the 2013 tourist season.

The new one will be higher to avoid future floods and itwill no longer bounce like it used to, Jackson said.

It would have beenimpossible to find a contractor to build it the old way, and insurance companies insisted on modern safety standards, he said.