5th Street Bridge: Concrete Pouring Planned for Thursday

December 8, 2021

Update: 

Sunny days are here again!

The concrete pour on the 5th Street Bridge is shaping up for tomorrow - Thursday, December 9th. The bridge will remain open to cars, cyclists and pedestrians; however motorists should expect major delays for 24 hours after the pour is complete.

Please note: Crews are performing a test run this afternoon (Wednesday December 8) which is resulting in additional delays.

Traffic patterns will shift slightly to accommodate this work and traffic control will be in place to slow traffic and reduce vibrations as much as possible. Please drive slowly and obey all signage, signals, and traffic control people.

Expect delays and please consider an alternate route:

  • 17th Street Bridge
  • Condensory Bridge – Anderton Avenue to Condensory Road
  • North Connector – Piercy Road

The work remains weather dependent. Please monitor our website and social media channels for any updates. 

 

Previously:

December 2, 2021

5th Street Bridge: Expect Delays for Concrete Pouring

A major step closer to completion of the 5th Street Bridge Project, the contractor will soon pour new concrete on the north lane of the bridge deck. The bridge and sidewalks will remain open; however, drivers should expect major delays for 24-hours including during and after the concrete is poured.

Weather permitting, the first pour could occur as early as Tuesday, December 7th.

As the work is weather-dependent, the work may begin with little notice. Additional traffic control and signage will be on site to manage traffic flows. The initial curing of the concrete will be critical to its quality and durability. Traffic control will be in place to slow traffic and reduce vibrations as much as possible, as well as protect the freshly poured concrete from being driven over.

Once the concrete has cured, the vehicle travel lane will shift to the north side of the bridge and repairs will commence on the south lane. The second, and final, concrete pour will occur in the following weeks.

To avoid delay, motorists should consider alternate routes:

  • 17th Street Bridge
  • Condensory Bridge – Anderton Avenue to Condensory Road
  • North Connector – Piercy Road

The public is encouraged to monitor the City of Courtenay website and social media channels for scheduling updates. To view the webcam with current traffic conditions on the Old Island Highway along with a link to Drive BC’s 17th Street Bridge Cam, visit www.courtenay.ca/5thstreetbridge

In November the top layer of concrete was removed to assess and repair the bridge deck before pouring the new concrete overlay. Once the two lanes of concrete are set, line painting will occur. The project is expected to be complete in January 2022.

Over the past seven months work to repair the 60-year-old 5th Street Bridge has included structural improvements, a new coating system to repair and prevent corrosion, and deck repairs. Prior to 2021, the last significant investment in the bridge, including seismic upgrading, was in 2012. The upgrades are necessary to prevent deterioration and preserve the integrity of the bridge.

To learn more about the 5th Street Bridge project, visit www.courtenay.ca/5thstreetbridge