Repairs to New Westminster-Coquitlam Bailey bridge to start Monday
Repairs to the Braid Street Bailey bridge closed by the City of New Westminster last weekend due to structural issues will begin on Monday.
City engineering infrastructure coordinator Roger Emanuels said the work will bring the bridge back to a point where it can handle regular traffic again. The city is awaiting word from its consultants to determine if the repair will also be able to accommodate heavier traffic. Emanuels said eventually some additional work on piling and bracing may be required after it's reopened, to shore the bridge so its load rating meets the recently imposed 48-tonne limit recommended by its manufacturer.
While doing testing last Saturday, structural engineers found splits in two of the most significant tresses in the one-lane bridge that connects the east end of the Braid Industrial Park to Coquitlam's United Boulevard. The City of New Westminster decided to keep the bridge closed to assess what repairs were needed.
Emanuels said while the city decides its next steps, it has given the go-ahead to a contractor to source material and equipment to repair the split truss and to redeck the bridge. Discussions are still taking place on whether or not to double up shifts to get the bridge reopened sooner.
He said that decision is complicated by the need for daylight to do welding.
The cost of replacing the decking is expected to be $30,000, which will be split with the City of Coquitlam.
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