PEI

Wood Islands Bridge replacement requires lengthy detour

Work will begin soon to replace a bridge on Route 4 in eastern P.E.I., and the work will require closing the road.

Detour shorter on dirt roads

The province plans to have the work completed before Northumberland Provincial Park opens for the season. (Google Street View)

Work will begin soon to replace a bridge on Route 4 in eastern P.E.I., and the work will require closing the road.

The bridge, a highway culvert type, is between the Wood Islands Visitor Information Centre and Little Sands. Northumberland Provincial Park is in the area.

Provincial bridge engineer Neil Lawless said the official detour will be 34 kilometres long.

"It's all on paved roads," said Lawless, but there will be shorter options if you're willing to take unpaved roads.

"There's a lot of dirt roads in that area."

The closure will last about four weeks, and could be shorter if the weather is good. The $350,000 project is scheduled to be finished by June 14, before the provincial park opens in the third week of June.

There will be a public information session on the project Thursday at Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute in Little Sands.

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With files from Angela Walker