Sicamous bridge, site of fatal semi-truck crash, to be replaced

The provincial government says it is working to replace the RW Bruhn Bridge on Highway 1 in Sicamous less than two weeks after a fatal semi-truck crash.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says a new bridge will bring “improved traffic flow and enhanced safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists” in the Shuswap.

On Aug. 24, a semi-truck driver broke through the side railing of the bridge and plunged 60 feet into the river below.

The ministry says it’s investing approximately $260 million to build the new bridge and 1.9 kilometres of highway, replacing the bridge with a new four-lane structure, and upgrading intersections between Old Sicamous and Silver Sands roads. The federal government will provide $ 91.1 million toward that as part of the New Building Canada Fund.

Plans for the bridge’s replacement have been in the works since public consultations in 2018.

“A recent tragic incident on the bridge will not affect the scope or timing of work,” the ministry said.

The project will remove the intersection at Old Spallumcheen Road on Highway 1 and replace it with “safer access that eliminates left turns.” The ministry says it will also build a new multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists travelling across the Sicamous Narrows and into Sicamous.

The province says drivers in the area should check DriveBC for notices of traffic disruptions throughout the construction period.

Construction will start this season, the province says, but no completion date has been announced.