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Trail Upgrade was a bridge to successWaneta Bridge project was completed ahead of schedule 
Fish-Friendly: Waneta Bridge was upgraded with minimal impact to fish habitat.— Photo by Keith Powell It was a bigger job than expected, but Cranbrook’s Johnston Construction was up to the task. The project in question was the recently completed safety upgrade and rehabilitation of the Waneta Bridge on Highway 22A south of Trail. Project manager Monte Johnston said original plans called for replacing the bridge deck, stringers and pedestrian railing system and putting a new coating of paint on the floor beams. Scaffolding was installed to access the underside of the bridge, some timbers were removed, and then it was discovered that the steel behind the timbers was extremely corroded. “The deterioration of the bridge was greater than anticipated,” Johnston said. At that point, the project was put on hold; after consultation with the Ministry of Transportation, however, it was decided that Johnston Construction would remove and replace the floor beams entirely. And that meant a scramble to get the additional steel required. “We managed to find a company that fabricated the floor beams for us in two weeks,” Johnston said. Time was of the essence on the project. As Johnston pointed out, the company would receive a $2,500-per-day bonus for every day the project was completed ahead of schedule (to a maximum of $60,000) but, conversely, would be fined $2,500 a day for every day the project was late. Johnston is happy to report that they came in about three weeks ahead of schedule. Along with finding the extra steel, the other main challenge was getting access underneath the bridge, Johnston noted. He said the company used a solid deck scaffolding 10 feet below the driving deck. Because the scaffolding spanned the entire length of the bridge, Johnston said the result was a “very green” (environmentally friendly) project. “Nothing was ever deposited into the river,” he said, going on to explain that typically on a construction job of this type, you lose tools, nuts and bolts—not to mention the dirty, rusty material you are removing—into the waters below, but the scaffolding Johnston Construction designed caught all the debris. In 2007, Johnston Construction retained Galena Environmental Ltd. to monitor rehabilitation work on the Waneta Bridge and make sure that the mitigation measures outlined in the Waneta Bridge Environmental Management Plan (EMP) were implemented. These mitigation measures were based on several provincial and federal government guidelines. The EMP objectives were to protect fish and fish habitat, to ensure fish passage, to prevent detrimental impacts on spawning, rearing and migrating habitat, to prevent the release of sediments and deleterious substances into the river and surrounding lands, and to prevent riverbank erosion. To minimize possible impacts, all work was conducted at the most appropriate time, late winter and early spring, when the Pend d’Oreille River water levels are at their lowest. Johnston said the provincial Transportation Ministry showed great foresight in allowing the company to close the bridge to traffic completely during the work period. He said the $1.75-million construction cost of the Waneta Bridge project would easily have tripled if traffic had been allowed through. The Waneta Bridge, which spans the Pend d’Oreille River, is only 500 metres north of the Canada-U.S. border, so that particular border crossing was closed for the duration of the 84-day bridge closure. Cross-border traffic was diverted to the Paterson crossing on Highway 22. Johnson is a professional engineer who studied at the University of Calgary, then worked for several firms before deciding to return to his Cranbrook roots 21 ⁄2 years ago to work for the company founded in 1978 by his parents, Mike and Jocelyn. He said Johnston Construction started out doing subdivisions, septic systems and the like, later branching out into industrial projects. Today, bridge construction and foundation work primarily for bridges is the company’s main specialty. Besides the Waneta Bridge upgrade, a recent project of note was installing a huge culvert over Enterprise Creek near Slocan. Johnston said it is the biggest highway arch in B.C. and, at 60 feet in diameter, one of the biggest in Canada. Another interesting project was replacing a decrepit pedestrian bridge in Carcoss in the Yukon. New-age bridge construction• The Waneta Bridge crosses the Pend d’Oreille River just before it enters the Columbia River n Both rivers contain a variety of fish species including 10 salmonids and the endangered white sturgeon • This section of the Columbia River and the Waneta Dam tailrace are also known to be important holding and staging areas during the sturgeon spawning season Johnston Construction Ltd.• In 2007, Johnston Construction Ltd. retained Galena Environment Ltd. • This was done to ensure the mitigation measures outlined in the Waneta Bridge Environmental Management Plan • These mitigation measures were based on several provincial and federal government guidelines Protecting Fish Habitat
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| Key Trail contacts |
  | Pacific Coastal Airlines Ltd 204 - 4440 Cowley Cres Richmond, BC PHONE: (604) 214-2366 WEBSITE: www.pacificcoastal.com |
 | Kootenay Savings Moneyworks 300-1199 Cedar Ave Trail, BC PHONE: (250) 368-2674 WEBSITE: www.kscu.com |
 | Paradise Pool & Spa 2970 Highway Dr Trail, BC PHONE: (250) 364-5050 WEBSITE: www.paradisepoolandspa.ca |
| Hall Printing 815 Victoria St Trail, BC PHONE: (250) 364-2300 WEBSITE: www.hallprinting.ca |
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