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Covehead Bridge reopening delayed by a week

Sally Pitt | CBC News | Posted: July 11, 2016 8:00 PM | Last Updated: July 11, 2016

Safety features key to new design

Image | Covehead Bridge should be complete by October

Caption: Construction on Covehead Bridge is about a week behind schedule. (Bill Courtney/Parks Canada)

The reopening of the Covehead Bridge has been delayed by about a week.
Initially, construction on the bridge was supposed to be complete by mid July. That's now been revised to July 29.
​The delay is due to normal construction reasons, including weather, according to Annette Campbell, a communications officer with Parks Canada.

Image | Covehead Bridge traffic light

Caption: A timed traffic light is on site to keep vehicles moving in both directions. (CBC)

Timed traffic light

Drivers should only have to wait a couple of minutes. - Annette Campbell, Parks Canada
The bridge is open to one lane of traffic, and that will continue for the rest of July.
There's a timed traffic light to keep vehicles flowing in both directions, said Campbell.
"Drivers should only have to wait a couple of minutes."

Image | Covehead Bridge

Caption: Construction includes new safety features, including a two-metre-high barrier on top of the side guardrails. (Bill Courtney/Parks Canada)

It's expected that both lanes on the bridge will be open to traffic once again as of July 29.
But on Sept. 7, the bridge will be closed again — temporarily — for three weeks so crews can pave the driving lines and apply water-proofing.

Image | Covehead Bridge

Caption: New barriers curve outward on Covehead Bridge to allow clearance for cyclists and pedestrians. (CBC)

New safety features

The bridge is getting a couple of new safety features.
One is a two-metre barrier added to the side guardrails to prevent swimmers from jumping off the side.
Parks said it's dangerous to jump off the bridge because a boat could be travelling underneath, or jumpers could land on other hazards such as anchors, lobster traps, rope or broken glass.
The inward curving bars did not allow enough clearance for cyclists - Annette Campbell, Parks Canada
The barrier curves outwards and is designed to make it difficult to scale.
Some bridges have inward curves to their barriers, but that could pose a hazard to cyclists hitting their heads as they travel over Covehead Bridge.
"The inward curving bars did not allow enough clearance for cyclists to pass underneath," said Campbell.

Image | New sidewalk will be wider

Caption: The south side sidewalk will be three metres wide to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. (CBC)

Safer sidewalks

In addition, the south side of the bridge will have a three-metre-wide raised sidewalk for pedestrian and cyclists.
The north side sidewalk will be standard width and reserved just for pedestrians, said Campbell.

Image | Covehead Bridge

Caption: The Covehead Bridge will be closed temporarily on Sept. 7 for three weeks so crews can pave the driving lanes and apply water-proofing. (Bill Courtney/Parks Canada)

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