KAMSACK — The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways is planning to replace the existing bridge on Highway 8 over the Assiniboine River, located approximately 4.4 kilometres south of Kamsack.
Design engineering services are now being tendered to prepare for the replacement before the current bridge reaches the end of its service life.
The existing bridge, constructed in 1967, is a reinforced concrete beam bridge with three spans, totaling 47.25 metres in length.
According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways, with the most recent major deck rehabilitation taking place in 1995, the Ministry is now looking towards a complete replacement.
Routine inspections conducted on a two-year cycle inform the decision-making process, considering factors such as age, inspection results, traffic, and alternate routes, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Highways explained in an email.
With 697 bridges to maintain within annual budget constraints, bridge design work is crucial for timely replacements or new constructions, following the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, the Ministry wrote.
The ministry currently has no timeline as to when the bridge will be replaced.
