2nd report recommends Ross River Bridge be demolished

A second engineering report on the Ross River Bridge has confirmed the structure is a public safety hazard and recommends the bridge be demolished and replaced as soon as possible.

Ben Yu Schott with Yukon Community Services says engineers have little confidence that the 70-year-old bridge can be restored.

"It's a very old structure," he said. "We don't even have drawings in terms of when the structure was created. All of those technical details result in uncertainty and that's a challenge for sure."

Yu Schott says the government will hold public meetings in Ross River to determine how to proceed.

The American army built the suspension bridge in 1944 as part of the Canol Oil pipeline. It was later converted into a pedestrian bridge across the Pelly River.

Current estimates suggest it would cost around $4 million to replace the bridge.