Fredericton's Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge set to open by the end of January
City crews say the construction work on the bridge is about 75% complete
The countdown is on — Fredericton's historic walking bridge could open as early as next month.
The Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge has been closed for repairs since mid-September and city staff are hoping it will open to the public by the end of January.
"Crews are getting close to the final stages of their reconstruction work there," said Sean Lee, Fredericton's assistant director of engineering and operations.
But don't get too excited.
Lee said cooler temperatures can also have an impact on repairs.
"Once you get into colder days and shorter days where you have rain and freezing conditions … winter does impact the productivity of the construction."
Same old, same old
Lee said the bridge's original railway ties were starting to deteriorate. That's because water over the years has caused them to become "soft and spongy."
As a result, the entire deck and ties needed to be stripped away.
The city has installed modular pieces of concrete tied with steel railings and a new wood deck.
Lee said 287 concrete panels were manufactured off-site, along with 250 wooden deck panels and 500 railing sections.
"It will have the same look and feel that it did before," Lee said during an interview with Information Morning Fredericton on Wednesday.
The biggest difference will be the new railings on the bridge.
The new vertical metal railings are spaced out, so people can see out onto the St. John River, instead of the horizontal boards that were there.
"You'll be able to connect with the river much more easily."
More work needs to be done
The $3.9-million project still needs to work on three out of the four lookouts on the bridge.
Crews need to put in place small wooden curbs along the side of the bridge. Railing work and cleanup also needs to be done before the bridge can officially open. Minor cleanup will happen next spring.
"We're probably 75 per cent done," he said.
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With files from Information Morning Fredericton