The Pierre Delorme Bridge is now open with full traffic access, Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton announced today as he officially reopened the structure on PR 210, over the Red River near this community.
“The Pierre Delorme Bridge is a key piece of infrastructure in the Red River Valley and I’m pleased that area residents and local businesses will again have access to it,” said Ashton. “We invested over $15 million in the reconstruction work and although the contractor’s progress was delayed last summer and fall by near-record rains and high water levels, the structure has been reopened well before spring.”
The bridge was closed Aug. 20, 2009, after an unexpected geological event damaged the bridge’s foundation.
“Reopening the bridge was a high priority and completing such major repairs on a bridge of this size, in just over a year, is an excellent turnaround,” said Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux. “Crews were able to minimize damage to the bridge during the demolition phase and this saved money and time on the overall project. The new Pierre Delorme Bridge is expected to last for decades to come.”
All traffic lanes on the bridge are now open, however, there will be brief, single-lane closures over the next few weeks and during the summer to complete final repairs. As well, road approaches and landscaping work will be done later in the spring and summer around the bridge. In addition to the bridge repairs, the structure has been rededicated. New signs identify the bridge by name, acknowledging the long history of the Delorme family in the area.
The latest information on road conditions and any detours is available at www.manitoba.ca.
