PORT HASTINGS: Repair and upgrade work on the Canso Causeway swing bridge is on schedule, says a provincial project engineer.
Andrew MacPherson, with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (DTIR), explained that work on the base of the Causeway wrapped up in mid-January.
He said the work was separate from the work being done by the general contractor on the swing bridge.
“It was restoration of some of the armour stone, like erosion protection from the waves and the wind,” said MacPherson, noting workers added around 2,000 tonnes of stone to the Causeway with the use of a crane.
“We had identified areas where there was some deterioration or erosion below the surface and it was mapped using some of our GPS coordinate points.”
He also said foundation work for new entrance portals for the swing bridge, like the one reading “Welcome to Cape Breton” on the west side, is also complete.
MacPherson said the federal government turned over the swing bridge to the province in 2014. MacPherson also said the federal government provided the province with $9 million for work on the bridge and Causeway. MacPherson said the total cost of the work is between $11-12 million, with the province footing the rest.
As for the ongoing work on the swing bridge, he said everything is on schedule so far.
“We don’t anticipate being blown off schedule at the moment, so that’s good,” said MacPherson.
“All of the work has to be completed by the end of October. A large majority of the work has to be completed by the middle of May. The detour has to be out of there and the bridge has to be able to swing open and closed by the middle of May.”
On October 27, the DTIR announced the Canso Canal would close to marine traffic until May 14 to allow for upgrades and repair work on the swing bridge. The work includes upgrades to the swing bridge, a new operators’ building, as well as structural, mechanical, and electrical repairs.