Bridge pier inspection finished

Jan. 23, 2009

It's not often people go swimming in the Miramichi River in January, but divers were doing just that this week near the Morrissy Bridge.

A triangular hole cut into the snow covered ice let divers with East Dive slip in and out of the water as they inspected the bridge piers on a cold January day.

East Dive supervisor David McFadzen was on the bridge with his crew Wednesday as the last diver stripped off his tank. The diver had to climb a ladder from the ice up to the bridge once he finished an inspection and clumps of snow covered parts of his suit.

The diver spent about 60 minutes in the water, which was about 58 feet deep around the pier he was inspecting, McFadzen said.

"The deeper you go the more time you have down there."

Transportation Department spokesman Andrew Holland said the divers were hired to complete an underwater assessment of the piers and check their structural integrity as the province decides if they will leave the bridge intact for pedestrian use.

"If there's any additional work that is required they would give us that advice."

The Transportation Department awarded the tender for the bridge inspection to Hillside Engineering who supervised the diving. East Dive started the work Tuesday and completed it by Wednesday afternoon.

Department officials invited tenders for the inspection work in response to public requests to look into the possibility of saving the bridge for pedestrian use.

Safety concerns forced the bridge closure on Sept. 12 and it was set for demolition before the province gave it a last minute reprieve.

An invitation for tenders was cancelled in December an inspection could be done looking at the feasibility of leaving the bridge for pedestrians.

Despite the bridge being closed because it is unsafe, the inspection crews parked their vehicles on the bridge deck next to where they climbed down to the river below.

Holland said the department will collect information to bring to the discussion about the bridge's fate.

"To inform that discussion you need information."

Mike Mersereau is part of a group hoping to save the bridge and said the inspection is what they asked for so they will have to wait to see what the inspectors find.

"Well, it's on track."

Although he knew Hillside Engineering was one of the firms being considered for the job, Mersereau said he didn't learn the government chose them until this week.

"Other people in the group knew, but we just didn't connect."

Mersereau said no matter what the divers find during their inspections, there have been positive discussions about the bridge's fate.

"We'll see what the outcome is and we'll take it from there."

When contacted Wednesday, Holland said he expected the underwater inspection to take at least a week, but the divers managed to get enough swims in to check all the piers in two days.

Strings of caution tape surrounded the hole in the ice, warning people away from the open section of water after the divers finished their work.

McFadzen said they were leaving it up as a safety precaution.

"We don't want snowmobilers falling through."