SUGARLOAF PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE REMAINS CLOSED FOR REPAIRS

Following the sudden closure of the pedestrian bridge that connects Sugarloaf Marina to H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park, the public got a fuller explanation of the situation following Tuesday's council meeting.

The bridge, which was closed on Feb. 16, is in need of repairs because an inspection that day revealed the bolts anchoring the bridge to the abutment had failed. A subsequent inspection on Feb. 22 found that, while the 76-metre bridge is not in immediate risk of collapse, the engineering firm that inspected the bridge recommended keeping it closed.

According to that report, the bearing areas of the bridge at both abutments need to be repaired and further work was ordered, including the installation of new bearing pads and plates, new hold-down anchors, expansion joint seal replacements and sliding cover plates at each end.

Design work for the repairs was pegged at $15,000 while the actual cost of construction will be another $75,000, putting the full cost at around $90,000.

Depending on contractor availability, the city

hopes to have the bridge reopened by Victoria Day weekend in May. Without the bridge, pedestrians have about a seven-minute walk around the inner harbour to get from the marina to the park.