Beginning Monday, September 9, City of Powell River will be rehabilitating the metal structure of the McGuffie Creek pedestrian bridge that connects Joyce Avenue and Powell River Recreation Complex.
The work is scheduled to end on October 31, 2019. For approximately eight weeks, there will be either a partial or a complete closure of the bridge. Barricades and signage will be in place to prevent the public from entering the area or the trails under the bridge.
The closure will affect the Terry Fox Run on Sunday, September 15.
“The run will go on,” said organizer Leslie Paul. “The bridge has always been part of the Terry Fox Run in Powell River. This year will be a slightly altered route, but we’ll still start at the recreation complex.”
The contractor will use new technology for the bridge repairs that combines mobile abrasive sand blasting with a method that burns off the rust prior to the immediate application of zinc for anti-corrosive protection. The method and process of rehabilitation is superior from an environmental standpoint than water blasting methods since there is no need to capture and treat the run-off from affecting the environmentally sensitive area of McGuffie Creek.
After reports of excess corrosion, a structural assessment of the bridge was carried out in 2014 by PSA Engineering, of Powell River.
The PSA analysis indicated that no structural modifications are required at this time.
The report stated: “Based on the amount of corrosion that has occurred over the last 15 years, the lifespan of the bridge is predicted to be another 15 years before structural modifications are required. This is significantly less than an expected lifespan of 80 years for a bridge of this type.”
The $200,000 contract to conduct the remediation was awarded to Sinco Gates and Metal Fencing Art of Port Coquitlam.
