Closure of 'scenic route' into Sask. national park could be long term issue: Parks Canada

Damage to a bridge that’s shut down the so-called “scenic route” access to the Prince Albert National Park could be a long-term issue, according to Parks Canada.

The south Spruce River Bridge on Highway 263 was deemed unsafe to cross Monday, as the park says high water levels have caused major sloughing underneath the roadway leading up to the water crossing.

The bridge over Spruce River in the PA National Park is damaged due to high water levels, June 25, 2024. (Courtesy: Parks Canada / Prince Albert National Park)

Visitors call the southern Highway 263 the “scenic route” because of its expansive views of the shifting geography of the park, from riverside aspen parkland into boreal forest, the roadway later curving at a height overlooking Waskesiu Lake and leading into the village centre.

Park officials say they won’t have a timeline for repair work until an engineer can assess the damage in the next few days, but until then, they’re playing it safe and considering it a potentially long-term issue.

They’re also unsure what it’s going to cost to reopen.

“This one, just given the complexity of the issue, might be more costly, but we won’t know until we get the bridge actually inspected by engineers with the right set of eyes to look at it through a critical lens, in terms of safety and workability and feasibility,” said Digit Guedo, acting resource conservation manager at the park.

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Guedo said park officials first noticed erosion on the roadway about six months ago. As the rain fell throughout the month of June, the scale of damage escalated.

“Over the month of June we’ve had record amounts of rainfall,” said Guedo. “Water levels across the park are abnormally high.”

She said south Spruce River Bridge was still passable up until Saturday. By Monday morning, they noticed the base underneath the roadway leading up to the crossing was giving way.

The park expects to have an idea of the scale and cost to repair Highway 263 in the next few weeks.

The high water levels are impacting more than just the southern access to the park.

Another bridge across the Spruce River further north is also closed, and the Sturgeon River Bridge on the west side of the park was closed on June 18.

Visitors should check ahead and plan their trip accordingly, said Guedo.

“Be aware of those closures, check out the website for more updates as they become available and just plan your trip ahead. It’s tough and hard to see when people, you know, take all that time and effort and then are let down because they can’t get to where they need to go, or where they want to go,” she said.

If you’re planning a backcountry expedition, Guedo cautions you should be prepared in case you get turned back.

“There’s some back country crossings that we just don’t know the state of,” she said.

“With this high water, it could be that some of those have deteriorated as well. So I just encourage people to anticipate the need to have to turn around.”

Guedo says visitors can still access hiking trails inside the southern gate of the park, and visit the scenic Spruce River Highlands trail by taking Highway 2 to the main park entrance and driving through the village of Waskesiu.

The bridge over Spruce River in the PA National Park is damaged due to high water levels, June 25, 2024. (Courtesy: Parks Canada / Prince Albert National Park)