Bailey bridge to reopen Friday
The Braid Street Bailey Bridge is expected to reopen Friday afternoon but not to heavy truck traffic.
The City of New Westminster announced Thursday the repairs should be completed and the one-lane bridge connecting New Westminster to Coquitlam's United Boulevard and open for traffic starting at 2 p.m.
The bridge was closed Feb. 9 for structural assessment. When a crack in one of the wooden structure's supports were discovered the city decided to shut it down until repairs could be made.
"We've worked with our contractor and consulting engineers over the past two weeks to determine and carry out the appropriate repairs," said Roger Emanuels, the city's manager of design and construction on its website. "New Westminster and Coquitlam city staff have worked together with our contractor to reopen the bridge as quickly as possible."
However, when it reopens vehicle traffic will be restricted to maximum loads of 15 tonnes or less which means no heavy commercial trucks will be allowed. Prior to its closure, the bridge had a 48-tonne limit. The city said New Westminster police will be enforcing the new load restrictions and will be monitoring it for infractions.
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