The 5th Street Bridge will be closed all weekend for the final concrete pour as the project nears the finish line.
The bridge will close fully to all traffic between 7 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Sunday. However, the north sidewalk will stay open, according to the City of Courtenay.
The city is asking drivers to use alternate routes during the closure including the 17th Street Bridge, Condensory Bridge and North Connector.
They say closing the bridge for 48 hours will let crews complete the final pour and limit vehicle vibrations to let the concrete cure. Other remaining deck work will also be done by crews.
Fresh paint will be added once the concrete cures. The work will move to returning to the previous traffic patterns and reopening the bridge to two-way traffic this month.
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells says he looks forward to the project finishing after many delays over the last year.
“The entire community is keen to see the bridge reopen to two-way traffic as soon as possible,” said Wells. “This has been an incredibly complex project, made even more challenging by COVID-related staffing impacts, extreme weather events, bridge condition issues and concrete placement.”
The city says closing the bridge over the weekend was not taken lightly and thanks downtown businesses, emergency services and residents for their patience.
