Regular users of the Sixth Avenue East bridge may soon be able to take their usual route, with repairs expected to wrap up in the beginning of September.
"We are hoping to have the bridge open for the first week of September, however there may be issues with asphalt availability near the end of the month," said Richard Pucci, engineering coordinator for the City of Prince Rupert.
The City of Prince Rupert allocated $300,000 in its annual budget toward the repairs, which Pucci said were "necessary for the bridge to continue to perform at the same level of service to the community".
The repair job is replacing the bridge deck support structure by upgrading all of the tensioning rods and adding replacement sleeves so maintenance will be easier in the future. The project will also involve a new asphalt driving structure and sidewalk timber repairs.
So far, the former asphalt has been cut and the new tension rods and sleeves have been installed. The contractor is currently in the process of grouting in the sleeves and tensioning the rods.
After this work has been complete, the engineering department crew will be able to grind off the old asphalt surface and replace it with fresh asphalt.