It is expected that the Deh Cho Bridge on NWT Highway 3 will remain open to one lane only during repairs until at least the fall.
The bridge, which cost $200 million to build, spans the Mackenzie River just outside Fort Providence and provides a year-round highway connection between Yellowknife and the south.
Since early August last year, traffic on the bridge has been limited to one lane after one of the 24 giant cables came loose. The Northwest Territories government said the problem was a “metallic adjustment rod” that connected the cable to its anchor on the bridge.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the metal bar probably had a “metallurgical defect that led to failure” earlier this year. The ministry said there was no indication that vandalism or a collision contributed to the incident.
The GNWT originally expected the repair work to take place this summer, but in late May the district told the CBC that the work would be postponed until October.
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In an update this week, the department said it was still aiming to start work in October.
“A material supply contract has been awarded to Bridon-Bekaert, the original company that supplied the cable system and the only company that can supply the identical cable,” the department told Cabin Radio by email.
“After the contract was awarded, manufacturing and shipping schedules were adjusted as needed. Material manufacturing began in April 2024 and we expect materials to be on site in October 2024.
“The construction contract has been awarded to Surespan Construction Ltd. Construction will commence as soon as the materials are on site.”
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No public records could be found regarding the value of the Bridon-Bekaert contract. The Surespan contract is valued at $4 million.
The region said earlier this year that none of the 23 other cables and adjustment rods were defective, but that all 24 adjustment rods would be replaced because they came from the same manufacturing batch.
In the meantime, the bridge behind the defective cable will continue to be single-lane and will have traffic lights at both ends.
When work begins, the GNWT said some operations – such as moving equipment around the bridge – “may require short-term closures.”
