'Fix it, please': Nipawin resident worried about future of historic bridge after traffic closure
Some residents of a Saskatchewan town are raising concern about the future of their community’s historic landmark.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Ministry of Highways sent out a notice that the old Nipawin bridge, also known as the crooked bridge, would be closed to vehicle traffic starting Wednesday morning.
According to Patrick Book, senior communications consultant with the ministry, the closure came from a third-party inspection that took place late last week. Investigators recommended the ministry immediately close the bridge to traffic, he said, citing overloading on the approaches where the road meets the bridge.
“It was sudden news for everyone. For the ministry, it was a very quick decision that had to be made in the interest of safety,” he said.
“There really was no choice.”
Connie Morrow grew up in a home along the riverbank next to the bridge. She said she has a lot of memories tied to the structure, including riding horses across it and snapping photos there with her mom.
“It was like our backyard,” she said.
Morrow said she, and other residents she’s spoken to, weren’t expecting the closure.
“I cried. I was shocked. It happened so suddenly,” she said.
FUTURE UNCERTAIN
Book said within an hour of the ministry accepting the recommendation, it sent a notice on social media and to news outlets, and started calling a list of stakeholders to inform them of the bridge’s sudden closure to vehicle traffic.
Now, he said, the ministry will be speaking to those stakeholders to determine whether the bridge will be closed permanently to vehicles.
However, the railway is still open for trains to cross.
“It’s not as though the structure itself is in danger of imminent collapse or anything like that. This is a preventative measure that we’re taking here.”
'IT'S OUR LANDMARK'
The old Nipawin bridge was built in 1931. In 1974, the ministry built a new bridge on Highway 55 about five kilometres away – after its construction, Book said the ministry informed that town that it intended to eventually close the old bridge for service.
“There’s a lot of people that use it. There’s a lot of people that rely on it and depend on it,” said Morrow about the old bridge.
“When the other bridge has been down, they’ve relied on this one and they repair it a lot. So it’s such a huge effect, and if they can make it safe, if it’s shores, then fix it, please.”
If anything, Morrow said she wants it made into a historical site for people to visit.
“It’s the history of the bridge as well. It’s our landmark, and we’re famous for our crooked bridge and we love it.”
Book said the ministry still needs to do engineering and financial assessments on potentially reopening the bridge the vehicles.
The Town of Nipawin said a meeting is taking place at the end of the month, but did not want to comment until a decision has been made.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.