Photo by Vince Fedoroff
WORK SCHEDULED – The Mount McIntyre Ski Bridge was damaged by a large truck passing beneath it last July. Insurance will cover most of the repair costs.
Mount McIntyre Ski Bridge contract goes to local firm
City council has awarded a construction contract worth $790,200 (plus the GST) to P.S. Sidhu Trucking Ltd. for the Mount McIntyre Ski Bridge Repair project.
City council has awarded a construction contract worth $790,200 (plus the GST) to P.S. Sidhu Trucking Ltd. for the Mount McIntyre Ski Bridge Repair project.
The local construction company was awarded the contract at a city council meeting held Monday.
An internal review committee agreed that the bidder was familiar with the scope of the work and has the knowledge and experience to complete the work successfully, the city said Tuesday.
It’s anticipated that construction will be finished by Feb. 28, 2020.
Completion of the project before the 2020 Arctic Winter Games will assist the city with hosting the Games as well as give Whitehorse skiers safe access to trails that were impacted by the bridge closure.
It was damaged by a heavy truck passing beneath it last July – not the first time that has happened. The work will result in a bridge that’s slightly higher.
“Repairing and reopening the Mount McIntyre Ski Bridge this winter is a very important project to our community,” said Mayor Dan Curtis.
“We want to ensure that residents can remain active this winter by being able take advantage of all the wonderful ski trails and that as hosts of the Arctic Winter Games, we offer the best experience to all of the athletes and visitors involved.”
Funding for the project will come primarily from insurance claims.
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Comments (15)
Up 1 Down 0
Miles Epanhauser on Jan 4, 2020 at 1:29 am
I read today that the bridge will cost about $950,000 with about $100,000 coming from city taxpayers and it will not be raised. And the AWGs can live without the bridge. Also, an elevated bridge would be less expensive.
Like many others I wonder why the city could not cool their jets and think through a less expensive long term solution. My welding friend says they could have welded reinforcement for safety this winter and brought a higher less expensive option online next summer.
Up 7 Down 0
Been here since the Stampede on Jan 1, 2020 at 2:38 pm
@BnR
It was Front street loooooong before it was First Ave. Who’s the Cheechako now?
Up 4 Down 5
BnR on Dec 31, 2019 at 4:56 pm
JC said: "It would take a Cheechako not to understand that."
Says the guy who called 1st ave. Front street....
Up 8 Down 13
Davis on Dec 31, 2019 at 9:30 am
I sure hope the City consulted the end users before finalizing the design of the replacement bridge. The old bridge wasn't even wide enough to hold most races on. It would cost very little to make the new bridge a meter wider so that it can accommodate modern ski race formats.
Up 2 Down 14
jc on Dec 30, 2019 at 5:08 pm
BNR, if they could put a locomotive train tracks through the White Pass, this should be simple. It would take a Cheechako not to understand that.
Up 8 Down 1
Gringo on Dec 30, 2019 at 3:39 pm
@ David....define “primarily”? Likely lost in the fine print.
Up 22 Down 2
Atom on Dec 30, 2019 at 1:02 pm
This contractor has done this through a Yukon government contract for work on the Aishihik Rd.....installed a bailey bridge at one of the many crappy creek crossings, a bridge which they had removed from the Dempster on a former project (also YG bid), and then charged the YG gov monthly rent for the bailey bridge....and I think they are still collecting the rent to this day...genius, though offensive and very Yukon.
Up 7 Down 3
David on Dec 29, 2019 at 5:53 pm
@ Gringo - Maybe you didn't read the full article. At the bottom it says "funding for the project will come primarily from insurance claims".
Up 29 Down 2
Boyd Campbell on Dec 29, 2019 at 4:37 pm
It's an Andy Hooper job with his gin pole truck. I wish Andy was still here to show people what a little hard work and perseverance can achieve. Anyone want to take a stab at Andy's bid to do this job? We've gone from that to this in less than 40 years. I and many others are very angry at what has taken place here.
Up 37 Down 1
Miles Epanhauser on Dec 28, 2019 at 7:35 pm
Boyd is right. We were told not long ago the city had 2 old bailey bridges.
If true you can replace the damaged section or sections raise it and call it done for far, far less than what is planned.
Up 35 Down 5
SheepChaser on Dec 28, 2019 at 6:13 pm
This reminds me of the Dawson snow bridge debacle. Gov spends hundreds of thousands for what a real Yukoner could do with ten feet of cordage and a chainsaw.
Up 61 Down 3
Boyd Campbell on Dec 28, 2019 at 12:08 pm
This is a classic example of the contractor knowing the inflated engineering estimate. Basically we are raising the bridge,( and fixing the damaged structure ) so it doesn't get hit again and fixing the approaches. I realize the game is to drive up the price so the percentages mean the boys can make some money. Wait a minute, why would you not install another chunk of baily bridge which is not damaged? I wonder how many of them are still laying by a fence line in gov't compounds all over the territory. Remove the old bridge, raise the piers, lift the new section in place, deck it and fix the approaches. $800,000.00 !!!!!!!! Can't stop laughing, only in Yukon.
Up 56 Down 8
Gringo on Dec 27, 2019 at 6:59 pm
550 grand for empty buses and now three quarters of a million to fix a bridge for some skiers. This council is fiscally out of control.
Up 29 Down 9
BnR on Dec 27, 2019 at 5:45 pm
JC. Really? You want the “electric train” from “front street” to use this bridge?
We don’t have a front street. We don’t have an electric train.
And I would love to see how you would route the tracks to get from downtown to above Vallyview.
Good grief....
Up 11 Down 49
JC on Dec 27, 2019 at 4:34 pm
Would be nice if the electric train from Front St. could be extended over that bridge and vicinity. Now, that would make for a nice tourist attraction.