Cowichan River bridges’ undergoing seismic upgrade

The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has awarded a $998,900 contract to Seismic 2000 Construction Ltd. of Aldergrove to carry out the Cowichan River bridges’ seismic safety retrofit project. The twin steel bridges on Hwy 1 cross the Cowichan River in Duncan.

The work will involve raising and lowering the 77-metre-long bridges to replace the existing bearings with seismic isolation bearings.

The western bridge was built in 1950 and the eastern bridge was built in 1978.

This upgrade is scheduled to be completed by spring 2018.

“Retrofitting the existing structures to meet current seismic standards will ensure the Trans-Canada Highway corridor is kept safe and reliable for traffic, cyclists and pedestrians,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena in a media release.