The province says a recent fatality on the R.W. Bruhn Bridge will not affect the construction timeline for its replacement.
On Aug. 24, a semi truck hit the Highway 1 bridge, ripping out approximately 70 feet of the railing along the eastbound lane before plunging into the Sicamous channel below. The incident raised questions around how it might affect construction of the long-awaited four-lane bridge, expected to begin this month.
"A recent tragic accident on the bridge will not affect the scope or timing of the work," a Sept. 4 media release from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) stated.
The $136 million project contract, which will improve traffic flow and enhance safety for drivers and pedestrians along that 2.5 kilometre stretch of Highway 1, has been awarded to the AECON-Emil Anderson Group, with work to start in the coming weeks. According to the release, the work will entail four-laning 1.9 kilometres of the highway, replacing the Bruhn Bridge and upgrading intersections between Old Sicamous and Silver Sands roads.
"The Province worked closely with Splatsin and the District of Sicamous on the project design, gaining valuable input as the project moves into construction," the release reads.
Completion of the project will see the intersection at Old Spallumcheen and Highway 1 permanently closed, with safer access that eliminates left turns. It will also incorporate a new multi-use path to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the channel.
The two-lane Bruhn Bridge has long been a safety concern. Last year, the District of Sicamous sent a letter to MoTI urging the project be expedited. The letter included a report from Sicamous RCMP Sgt. Murray McNeil, who referred to the current bridge as "a hazard that residents of the area, tourists and commercial truckers have had to endure for too long."
In the letter, the district also shared its concerns around project delays 鈥� which were highlighted again following the Aug. 24 incident. The district noted in its December 2023 letter that six years had passed since the one-bridge (five-lane) design for the Trans-Canada Highway 1 R.W. Bruhn Bridge and Approaches Project was announced, and $224.5 million in joint provincial-federal funding was approved.
"It is disheartening that the project, which was to go to tender in 2023, will now not be tendered until next year," wrote the district. "There is a lack of faith that this project will move forward due to broken commitments, including the change in project scope from a five-lane structure to a four-lane structure. Council was not informed of this scope change prior to the ministry鈥檚 public announcement."
Also accompanying the district's letter were letters of support from Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD).
"The delay of the project poses a serious hazard to all users of the Trans-Canada Highway, including motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians who travel that corridor鈥�," wrote the CSRD, noting the narrow bridge sees high traffic volumes. "Extended closures of the Trans-Canada Highway due to severe accidents and substandard, inadequate repairs of the bridge have become commonplace. Directors often worry about learning of another incident involving the bridge that could result in residents or other travellers suffering injury or loss of life."
Construction will affect traffic, but advance notice of any disruptions will be provided, including periods of alternating single lanes and intermittent full closures. Up-to-date traffic notifications will be posted on .
