Closure strands residents

Photo: Google Street View

Construction has begun on the Baxter Bridge, which spans the Shuswap River east of Enderby.

The bridge is more than 60 years old and connects dozens of residents along Trinity Valley Road, which is used as an alternate route between Lumby and Enderby.

The problem for residents is construction has closed the road during daylight hours and causes those living on the other side of the river to drive approximately one hour south along a gravel logging road to Lumby, before continuing on to their destination.

According to Google maps, it only takes 10 minutes to reach Enderby from the constriction site along the Enderby Mabel Lake Road, meaning a substantial detour for residents.

“There are minimal opening times where we can cross, and we’re trying to make the other side more accessible,” says a local resident who did not want to be named.

She goes on to say that in previous years when bridge maintenance was underway people were able to walk across the bridge and get picked up on the other side, or access a parked vehicle on that side of the river.

But the Ministry of Transportation says a recent structural assessment of the bridge determined there were a number of components that required replacement, and the bridge would have to be closed while work was underway.

The closures began on Tuesday with limited access between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and most of the brief windows for opportunity are only made available during scheduled school bus crossings at designated times in the early morning and mid-afternoon.

During the weekend when there are no school buses in operation, there is one 15-minute period available for crossing in both the morning and afternoon. Otherwise motorists must wait until after the workday finishes at 5 p.m. to travel into town for gas, groceries, appointments or visits.

The ministry offered no suggestion on what would happen during a medical emergency, but they say the construction process was scheduled in this manner to allow the contractor to perform the work in a shorter period of time.

Repairs are expected to be completed by Feb. 23.

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