The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has awarded a contract valued at $225,545 to Harbourside Engineering Consultants for the concept design work for the replacement of the Marystown Harbour Bridge, known locally as Canning Bridge.

The consultants will outline all relevant concept design options, including road layout configurations, hydrological capacities, environmental issues, as well as different types of structures and materials in replacing the existing bridge structure. The recommendations in the consultants report, due by Spring 2024, will mark the next step in the process to replace the existing structure.

As part of the ongoing evaluation of bridge structures in the province, the department had been monitoring the condition of the bridge. Following the ongoing evaluation, the department anticipated the bridge would need to be significantly rehabilitated or replaced in a few years. As such, a detailed inspection, evaluation and investigation into the options for Canning Bridge was completed and the initial results found the bridge deterioration was far more significant than anticipated. This resulted in the maximum load limit being reduced to 10 tonnes in November 2022. Further investigation revealed lower material strengths than expected and the decision to close the bridge was made. The existing bridge evaluation report can be accessed here.

Replacement of the Canning Bridge has been included as a part of the department’s multi-year roads plan.

Information on tenders and requests for proposals issued and awarded by the department and other public bodies is available by visiting www.merx.com/govnl. Information on active highway construction projects and repairs is also available by visiting https://511nl.ca/ and on the NL 511 mobile app.

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“Safety is paramount, and we are constantly reviewing and evaluating bridges throughout the province. For each piece of infrastructure, options must be assessed to determine if rehabilitation is possible or if a replacement is needed. We are now responding to the need to replace Canning Bridge through the awarding of this contract, which will determine the safest approach to ensuring a fully functional bridge for Marystown residents in the future.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

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