A new five-lane structure will eventually replace the RW Bruhn Bridge in Sicamous and the approaches will be widened to four lanes, improving safety and efficiency for people travelling through the area on Highway 1.

The new five-lane bridge will feature acceleration and deceleration lanes at Old Spallumcheen Road, a new roadway passing under the bridge to increase connectivity and a multi-use path to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The project will also include intersection improvements between Old Sicamous Road and Silver Sands Road.

After extensive consultation, analysis and field work, the five-lane one-bridge design was chosen over the two-bridge option, which would have included a four-lane structure at the existing site and an additional Main Street bridge.

The results of archaeological field work and the cultural significance of the project area has guided the ministry’s decision to advance the one-bridge design, given the need to minimize impacts.

Other considerations in the final decision included technical, financial and environmental information, along with feedback from local government, First Nations, the public and the project liaison committee.

The $224.5-million project is cost-shared, with up to $91 million committed from the federal government through the New Building Canada Fund – Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component and the remainder from the Province.

Design work is expected to take approximately two years, with early construction activities anticipated to begin in 2020.

The RW Bruhn Bridge Replacement Project is part of the ministry’s Highway 1 Kamloops to Alberta Border Four-Laning Program. In Budget 2018, the Province committed $464 million to the program over the next three years.

Learn More:

For more information on the Highway 1 four-laning program, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/bchwy1-projects