The Department of Community Services will release a request for proposals to investigate the possibility of restoring the Ross River Suspension Bridge in the spring.

Minister Brad Cathers made the pledge at about noon today during an interview with the Star.

In the meantime, the government still intends to proceed with the removal of the dangerous portions of the 70-year-old historic structure.

Under the latest plan, the bridge would be taken down and placed on shore for experts to examine it.

About 35 people gathered Tuesday on the ice near the bridge, Kitty Sperling, an instructor at the local Yukon College community campus told the Star yesterday afternoon. They had learned a demolition crane was en route to the southeast Yukon village.

Some demolition workers tried to access the ice to measure its depth in preparation for removing the bridge decking and other parts deemed dangerous.

"But the Dena Council was very strong in the sense that they need to meet with government to discuss the imminent destruction of the bridge,” Sperling said.

Like many others, Sperling said the government didn't conduct sufficient consultation before moving forward with the destruction of the community and historical resource.

Warmed by a bonfire, people were still camped out at the bridge late Tuesday afternoon. Sperling didn't expect them to be going anywhere.

The community is also inviting others to make the trip there this weekend to join the camp-out and

participate in cultural activities.

The government appears to hope its latest announcement regarding the request for proposals will ease some of the community's concerns.

The minister also committed to meeting with Ross River Chief Brian Ladue, who couldn't be reached for comment, to discuss the bridge if he receives an invitation from him.

"Again, the whole impetus for government acting in this instance is that we have to take seriously the memo that we received from David Nairne and Associates on Sept. 30, 2013 that recommended the bridge be demolished as soon as possible for safety reasons,” said Cathers.

The minister wouldn't explain how the government would proceed if protestors refuse to vacate the area.

"Our priority is public safety; of course, we'd also like to avoid confrontation in proceeding forward,” said Cathers.

But the government plans to proceed with work on the bridge before spring breakup, hoping to avoid affecting ferry operations as it did in early October 2013, when concerns were first raised about the structure's integrity.

The bridge has been officially closed to the public since August 2012, but there were anecdotal reports from community members that people continued to use the bridge to cross the Pelly River.

Last June, the government announced it would invest $1.1 million to repair the bridge.

During detailed engineering assessments last September, Gerry Lum, an engineer from David Nairne and Associates (DNA), discovered the critical condition of the bridge and recommended its demolition.

At that point, the government took further steps to restrict access to the structure and eventually made the decision to remove the bridge.