Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge in Fredericton gets $4M for structural upgrades

The Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge, ahistoric bridge in New Brunswick's capital,is in need of major repairs.

Built in1889as a train bridge, the 580-metrestructure spans the St. John River and connects the north and south sides of Fredericton.

Nearly $4 million is going to be spent renovating the bridge rebuilding two or three of the piers, replacingthe wood ties underneath and installing new decking. Funding for the project will come from all three levels of government.

Engineers inspecting the bridge during the summer found problems with the decking and viewing platforms.

The viewing platforms were closed permanently after the inspection.

Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien saysthe bridge is one of the city's most scenic structures and should be preserved.

"There are two or three options that need to be looked at," he said.

However, the wooden decking will not be replaced with concrete, he said.

The bridge will have to be closed at some point but the mayorsaid he hopes to make the closure as short as possible .

"We'll have more details in a couple of months," he said.

The bridge's surface is safe but underneath, its railway ties are rotting, saidArt McFadden, president of the Fredericton Trails Coalition.

"In order to keep that bridge safe, they've got to take the bridge surface down to the very base, take all those ties out and start from scratch again," he said.

This will be a difficult process, especially over water, McFadden said.

Right now there are ongoing discussions about whether to work on the bridgebefore or after the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival.

He said the bridge's restructuringshould be done all at once, which could take up to several months.

"It would be best to close it for one period of time," he said. "To try and close it down for two weeks and then they open it again, that's going to drag that process forever."

McFadden said construction wouldn'tstart for at least another year but the finished productwill keep the sameoverall appearance.

The decision on when to begin repairs willbe made between the city, who leases the bridge, and the province, who owns it.

"They're just being proactive that's all," he said. "There's no danger of anybody going through."

Bridge is a beloved icon

But many people are thrilled to hear about the repairs no matter how long it takes.

Kim Heustis said if the work needs to be done, then the city should do it.

Donna Gallant, who travels about 20 kilometres from Waasisand uses the bridge almost every day, agrees.

"I'm 100 per cent on board," she said, adding, "I think it brings tourism to the city."

Carol Grant doesn't use the bridge as much as she would like, but feels it's important for the crossing to be maintained.

"It's just a nice, comfortable walk from one side to another," she said. "We should keep it, it is a heritage, it's been here a long time," she said.

• Viewing platforms closed indefinitely on Fredericton walking bridge

Resident Pam Hickie said there needs to be a lot of planning done before any repairs begin, to minimize disruption.

"How disruptive is this going to be?" she said. "There are a lot of people who use that bridge, it's a big deal. When you don't have it it's a big deal."

Wayne Knorr, spokesperson for the city of Fredericton, said the details about project won't be available for some time.

"We will certainly be developing a plan to keep the public informed when the time has come," he said.