NAPPAN, N.S. — A new bridge over the Nappan River on Highway 2 is getting closer.
Marla MacInnis of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal told the Amherst News the tender for the bridge has been awarded to Timber Restoration Services.
“They have begun designing and manufacturing the bridge,” she said in an email. “Much of this work is taking place offsite throughout the summer. On-site construction is expected to begin in September and wrap up in the fall.”
The new bridge will replace the former Rainbow Bridge that was closed in December 2017 amid structural concerns. The former bridge and its abutments were removed last summer to get the project ready for a tender call.
With the bridge’s closure, motorists have been forced to detour via the Porter Road to the Gould Road or on the Smith Road to the Southampton Road to Nash’s Corner at Highway 242 before getting back on Highway 2 on the south side of the barricade.
Heavy traffic has forced the department to make repairs to the Porter Road on several occasions and it is continuing to urge motorists to use the Smith Road instead, even though it adds several kilometres to get around the detour.
MacInnis said the new bridge will not be a traditional wooden bridge, but will be a glue-laminated timber structure.
“A glue laminated timber bridge consists of multiple individual layers of lumber adhesively bonded together. It is lightweight in comparison to steel or concrete. The new bridge meets all the requirements of the Canadian Highway Bridge design code and has a 75-year service life,” she said.
