The project to replace the 61-year-old Salmon River Bridge on Highway 97 north of Prince George, is going to tender.

“Upgrading and replacing bridges as well as widening highways to ensure the safe, efficient movement of goods to support our growing resource sectors, is a key part of the B.C. on the Move Provincial Trucking Strategy,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone. “Keeping commercial traffic flowing smoothly is a high priority for residents in this region, so it’s great to see projects like this get underway on this key corridor.”

The old bridge will be replaced with a new structure that can handle oversize transport trucks. Wider and with a greater load capacity, it will support the movement of heavy loads required to service the resource sectors in the North such as oil and gas, LNG and forestry. The total value of the project is estimated at $24 million and work is expected to begin in the fall of 2016.

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“Highway 97 is our lifeline in this region, so keeping it safe for residents, tourists and commercial traffic is very important,” said Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie. “Replacing the Salmon River Bridge so it can handle larger trucks carrying wider and heavier loads will not only increase efficiency for industry, it will ensure that everyone using the bridge and this stretch of the highway can travel safely.”

“Enhancements to northern highway infrastructure are critical if we want to facilitate a growing economy,” said Shirley Bond, MLA for Prince George-Valemount. “We need to have the ability to move goods efficiently and at the same time ensure that our roads are safe for those of us who live and travel in this region. The Salmon River Bridge has a long history and its replacement is a welcome addition to the many improvements being made to our northern highways and roads.”

Over the next three years, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will invest up to $2.7 billion to improve British Columbia’s transportation network.

Learn more:

B.C. on the Move is available online at: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/transportationplan/

Follow the work of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure online at: www.tranbc.ca

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