Q&A

Q: When will the bridge be open to traffic? 
A: To alleviate some of the impact of the bridge closure on vehicular traffic and residents, we are working toward the opening of the bridge for vehicle traffic on a part time basis beginning on October 9, 2018. The bridge will be closed daily from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm to allow work to continue, as the contract and project are not yet complete.

Q: I’ve seen the bridge closed, why can’t it be opened for vehicles now?
A: Even though the bridge is physically able to close right now, there are items that need to be completed before it will be safe for vehicles to traverse. Some of these include guardrails, paved approaches and shoulders, lighting, and hydraulic lifts that support the ends of the bridge for crossing cars. These items are important for the safety of individuals, the protection of the new bridge, and also the protection of your vehicle.

Q: Why have there been days when no one is working on-site? Shouldn’t more workers have been added to get the bridge operational faster?
A: There are many reasons why it might appear that the construction site isn’t busy with activity. While the project team and contractor make every effort to complete work onsite and offsite concurrently, there are times when one gets ahead of the other and there appears to be very little activity on the site. Sometimes people are working under the bridge instead of visibly near the road approaches. Sometimes new information comes to light and a past decision in design or construction need to be re-visited with multiple stakeholders before moving on. All of these multiple and changing considerations are in an effort to build a bridge that will serve our communities - of vehicles and boaters alike - for many years.

Q: Will the contractor be financially responsible for these delays? Do these delays constitute a breach of contract?
A: Right now we are concentrating on completing the project and getting the bridge operational, to the very best standards. Following the project there will be a full accounting of the reasons for delay to the bridge’s opening. Anything that would constitute a breach of contract or financial responsibility for delay will be determined through a formal review process. As the contract administrator for this project, Public Service and Procurement Canada will ultimately be the authority that makes the decision to pursue that process - following the completion of the project, and not before.

Q: Will businesses be compensated for any losses incurred during this closure?
A: Parks Canada operates and maintains infrastructure that's designed to serve the public, and will not offer compensation when these structures require maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement.

Q: What kinds of things has Parks Canada, and Public Service & Procurement Canada (PSPC), done to overcome challenges and get the bridge opened for vehicles faster?
A: PSPC, with Parks Canada, has:

• allowed the contractor to work on weekends and evenings (beyond the hours of work identified in the contract)


• allowed the contractor to maintain a floating platform in the navigable canal to make some aspects of the work easier and quicker to complete.


• encouraged the contractor to suggest ways in which the work could be done or changed to improve the schedule (which they have done).


• PSPC has held additional weekly coordination meetings in addition to regularly scheduled meetings, to track, discuss and enable quicker completion of activities that are on the critical path to project completion.


• formally instructed the Contractor to implement and follow a work plan to mitigate further delays and follow quality control specifications to re-open the road as soon as possible.


• provided prompt responses to Request for Information during construction and proactively issued clear and prompt site instructions in anticipation of construction challenges.