Residents, emergency services and commercial vehicles have more reliable crossings now that the Cave Road and Knife Creek Road bridges are complete.

“The Cariboo has been particularly hard hit by changing weather patterns in recent years,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Improved infrastructure like this gives people confidence that essential goods and emergency services won’t be cut off during extreme climate events. Ensuring communities remain connected during and following natural disasters is critical to our commitment to building back better.”

The new Cave Road bridge is designed to be more resilient to future flooding. It is built on an elevated steel foundation with no supports in the waterway, minimizing environmental impacts of the construction and providing more room for waterflow compared to the previous culvert design. The single-lane, clear-span structure crosses Wiggins Creek 65 kilometres northeast of Williams Lake.

The new Knife Creek Road bridge, which crosses Coldspring Creek 12 kilometres east of Highway 97 at 141 Mile House, is also a single-lane, clear-span structure built to withstand increased flooding. Both bridges were completed in May.

Tsilhqot’in Eten Nadiltil Limited Partnership was awarded a $3.04-million contract to deliver the project.

Both bridges replace temporary emergency structures installed when the spring 2020 freshet washed out the culverts at both creeks.