TAYLOR, B.C. – B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit is conducting geotechnical investigations on the north and south banks of the Peace River as part of the development of a long-term solution for the future of the Taylor Bridge on Highway 97.
The work involves drilling cylindrical, steel piles into the ground and installing specialized monitoring instrumentation to gather geotechnical data. The information will inform the engineering requirements for the load capacity of future piles, states a release.
The contract for the delivery of pile-load tests was awarded to Hanna Infrastructure Ltd. at $3.6 million. Equipment is mobilizing to the sites, with the pile-load tests to be completed by August.
The Taylor Bridge spans the Peace River on Highway 97 between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, near the community of Taylor.
Built in 1960, the bridge is 712 metres long. Current traffic volume on Highway 97 between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John is approximately 7,500 vehicles per day, 30 per cent of which is commercial vehicle traffic carrying goods throughout the Peace region and into the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska, the release reads.
While it is maintained for safety throughout the year, engineering work is being carried out to identify options for a long-term solution for the aging bridge.
During the geotechnical work, the province states there will be minimal traffic impacts. Some visual and noise impacts can be expected, with work occurring during daylight hours.
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