Photo: Contributed

A historic curved wooden bridge near Dawson Creek has been closed indefinitely following a single-vehicle crash early Monday.

Dawson Creek RCMP say an Alberta man was not hurt, but his truck was almost destroyed and guard rails and support beams of the Kiskatinaw Bridge were badly damaged when the truck hit the structure.

Transportation Ministry crews inspected the 75-year-old bridge and say it is unsafe until repaired.

Traffic on Highway 97, 20 kilometres west of Dawson Creek, has been diverted until further notice.

Tourism Dawson Creek says the Kiskatinaw Bridge was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1942 as part of a route for military traffic from Dawson Creek to Alaska.

The 162.5-metre wooden bridge was the first of its kind in Canada, although many more were built during construction of the Old Alaska Highway, and tourism officials say the unique span is the only one still in use.