Corner Brook replacing Main Street Bridge

Amarjeet Sohi, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, along with Eddie Joyce, provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment, and Charles Pender, mayor of Corner Brook, have announced that more than $3 million in joint federal-provincial funding will be made available for the replacement of the Corner Brook Main Street bridge.

“The main street bridge was initially built in the 1920’s and reconstructed in 1957. It is more than concrete and cables; it is a vital link to connecting the districts of Corner Brook East and Corner Brook West,” said Charles Pender, mayor of Corner Brook, in a statement.

“It is one of only three crossings of the Corner Brook Stream in the city and it handles a wide variety of traffic types. The average annual daily traffic is estimated to be in excess of 20,000 vehicles which makes this infrastructure replacement essential to ensuring the safety of motorists and pedestrians and for the movement of goods and services through our community.”

As reported in October 2015, the consulting engineering design and replacement contract for the Main Street bridge, valued at $367,144, was awarded to Harbourside Engineering Consultants out of Dartmouth, N.S.

Work involves replacing the aging structure with a new, safer and bigger bridge that will incorporate an additional driving lane, updated lighting, stronger guard rails and wider sidewalks. The bridge will also be designed to improve stream flow and provide additional clearances to handle high water incidents.

The upgrades will reduce traffic congestion and the risk of closures caused by flooding.

The Government of Canada is providing $1,452,515 to the project under the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund. The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador is providing $1,597,767, while the city of Corner Brook is contributing the remainder of the funding.