LANTZ: The province has awarded the tender to replace Hyde’s Bridge in Lantz to Dexter Construction.
The province confirmed the awarding of the contract in a letter to residents who live near the bridge which connects residents in the community over the Shubenacadie River.
Gary Andrea, spokesman with the Department of Public Works, said the project will start in June.
“Due to environmental restrictions around working in water, the project will start in June 2023,” said Andrea when asked why it was only starting in June.
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By the time June comes around, it will be close to four years that residents have had to use alternative routes at Milford Road or Elmsdale Road over by the medical centre to get around. Fire and emergency services have also had to use that route, in some cases slowing their response or meaning they have to rely on other mutual aid services to get to calls first.
Andrea spoke a bit about the project, although he said the contractor would have specific details around the work scope.
“The project will include the removal of the existing bridge infrastructure, followed by the installation of the new bridge foundation, the assembly of a new panel bridge, and final installation,” said Andrea.
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In the letter to residents, Project Engineer Haider Alsaeq provided a list that is aimed to help guide them in navigating traffic control setups.
That work will see the following happen:
- Removing the existing timber bridge
- Installation of new two-lane steel bridge
- Paving the new bridge and approaches
- Some drainage improvements
The instream work is set to start June 1, and the current detour will continue to be in use.
In order for work to be safely performed, the contractor will be required to temporarily reduce the number of active lanes by setting up traffic control devices and personnel (cones, barrels, and flaggers) on Hwy 277 near the bridge to manage vehicle flow.
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The letter said as a resident of the area, they may be required to enter or leave an active traffic control setup to gain access to your property.
The letter concludes asking residents for their patience during this work period.
It says if anyone has any questions, they’re encouraged to contact the Department of Public Works 24 hour Operations Contact Centre at 1-844-696-7737 or tir-occ@novascotia.ca.
In a previous interview, a spokesperson with Public Works said the target is a fall opening for Hyde’s Bridge.
Hants East MLA John A. MacDonald also made a post on his Facebook page about the update.
