The outside southbound lane on the John Hart Bridge as well as the right turn lane from Highway 97 onto Fifth Avenue will be closed as the City of Prince George enters the final phase of work on the water main that crosses the structure.
Crews will work to connect a new 1.3-kilometre long forcemain to the existing system at Fifth Avenue. The new main will service all properties in the city north of the Nechako River.
In a release issued on Thursday, Aug. 7, the city said it expects the work to take eight days to complete, with traffic returning to normal on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 19.
The traffic disruptions will start on Monday, Aug. 11, though the inside southbound lane and the two left turn lanes along that same stretch of road will stay open. Northbound lanes will not be affected.
Once the new main is installed, the old line can be isolated and replaced.
“Twinning the lines ensures continuity of service in the event of a break and increases capacity, allowing for future growth and development north of the city,” the release said.
The bridge was closed to traffic for two weeks in October 2024 during an earlier phase of work when part of the bridge deck along the southbound lanes had to be removed.
The project was supposed to be finished this February, but the city said that construction materials arriving late caused delays.
Deterioration of the original forcemain, which was installed in 1977, was discovered by the city back in 2019. The bridge was widened from two lanes to four back in 2001.
In 2024, the city issued a warning to avoid the Nechako River as it flows under the bridge and installed a temporary containment unit after a sanitary sewer leak was discovered.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
