Concerns raised about cracking pavement on months-old Hydes Bridge in Lantz

After a four-year detour, some who use the Hydes Bridge in Lantz, N.S., are frustrated with cracking asphalt, just months after it opened. The Department of Public Works says the cracking was anticipated.

Hydes Bridge, a one-lane bridge on Highway 277 that spanned the Shubenacadie River, was closed by the province in November 2019 for safety reasons. The replacement two-lane bridge opened earlier this year on Jan. 15.

In between bridges, a detour via Dutch Settlement Road, Elmsdale Road and Trunk 2 was in place.

"We waited to get the bridge reopened so that we didn't have to take the long way around to get to the people that we know in Lantz, " said Lisa Ashley, who lives in Dutch Settlement and crosses the bridge to access services, like groceries, and visit family. 

"It seemed like it took forever for it to even happen … and this is the result we get."

'Cracking was anticipated,' says province

In a statement, the Department of Public Works said the bridge was temporarily paved because a waterproofing epoxy was not available due to supply chain issues.

"A debonding agent was used ahead of the initial paving to make it easier to remove when the waterproofing epoxy coating is applied. As a result, some cracking was anticipated," said department spokesperson Toby Koffman in a statement. 

Koffman said the temporary pavement cost $20,000. He said repaving is expected to take about a week in late August once waterproofing arrives.

"Our priority was opening the bridge," said Koffman. "The builder tried to find products that would meet the long-term requirements but was unsuccessful."

While Ashley and her neighbours are awaiting the fix, she doesn't want the bridge condition to get worse.

"What about my vehicle beating and smashing over that constantly and I still have to do repairs on my vehicle and have to have inspections," said Ashley. "I really think that [the province] should be stopping some of the flow of heavy trucks. So much weight … shouldn't be permitted on the bridge until it's fixed."

The Department of Public Works said heavy trucks are not the issue and the debonding product caused the asphalt to move.