Ross River bridge contract goes to Klondike Welding
Yukon government says 1st phase of stabilization work should be done by February
A Whitehorse company has won the contract to stabilize the historic suspension bridge at Ross River, Yukon.
Klondike Welding received the $1.2 million contract to stabilize the Second World War-era bridge that was originally slated for demolition until the community rallied to save it.
The bridge was built by the American military as part of the Canol project to pipe oil from Norman Wells, N.W.T. to a refinery in Whitehorse. People in Ross River have been using it ever since to cross the Pelly River, until the government closed it in 2012 due to safety concerns.
Kitty Sperling, one of the people who fought to save the bridge, says she hopes the weather holds long enough for the work to get started.
"I don't think YG could have picked a more beautiful day to release the news that the contract has been awarded to repair and stabilize that bridge so I just hope the weather stays favourable," she said.
"They have a really tight time frame between now and possibly Oct. 18, if the weather stays nice when the ferry is pulled out."
The government says an open house will be held in Ross River next month to discuss the project. It says the first phase of work to stabilize the bridge will be complete by February.