While the initiative may be small in comparison to the organization’s big picture goals, Third Crossing Society is seeking permission to replace a couple of bridges in the backcountry.
Gary Fribance, society president, appeared before Powell River Regional District’s committee of the whole, Thursday, July 16. Third Crossing Society’s main goal is to establish transportation links between Vancouver Island and the BC interior.
Fribance said the society was seeking approval to replace two downed bridges on the upper Eldred River. The BOMB (Bloody Old Men’s Brigade) Squad originally built a footbridge in 2008 and the ATV club followed it up with an ATV bridge at that location.
“Both of those bridges were destroyed in bad weather during the winter some years ago,” Fribance said. “The society believes it is time to replace both with a permanent structure. To that end, a professional engineer has been consulted.”
The proposed bridge will be manufactured from structural steel with professionally manufactured abutments (gabions) and approaches. The society wants the bridge to be in place by October of this year.
“We think it will be weather resistant,” Fribance said.
Total cost of the project is $17,000 and his organization has raised donations valued at $12,000. An additional $5,000 has been requested from Powell River Community Forest.
“We believe that application will be successful,” Fribance said.
Approvals are required from the provincial ministry of forests, plus the regional district, Western Forest Products (WFP), Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation and ministry of the environment.
Fribance said Tla’amin has provided a letter of support in principle, there have been talks with WFP, and the society is about to enter into a complicated process for permission under water legislation.
Fribance said he was requesting a letter from the regional district indicating it has no objection to the bridge construction.
Patrick Brabazon, Electoral Area A director, said a letter has already been written by WFP and puts forward some conditions. The main one is that both structures might have to be pulled out at a future date.
Fribance said he was aware of those conditions and the society has no objection to the conditions.
Later in the meeting the committee considered writing a letter of support. City Director Russell Brewer said while the society was hoping to have everything in place for the new bridge later this year, realistically it was not going to happen by this coming fall. He added that the regional district will be putting out a request for proposals for a trail strategy in September and that the Third Crossing Society’s application should be in line with the strategy.
“The whole point of the trail strategy is to identify what projects need to be prioritized with input from all of the recreation groups.”
The committee passed a motion recommending that Powell River Regional District board provide a letter of support to the Third Crossing Society for Community Forest Funding in support of a bridge on the Upper Eldred River and respecting the conditions noted by Western Forest Products Inc. in their letter of support.
If approvals are received, the bridge will be assembled in Powell River. The lighter parts will be disassembled and the heavy main part cut into three sections light enough to be carried by a helicopter. Trucks will then carry everything to a location near the intersection of Goat Lake Main and Diane Main. From there, ATVs will transport the smaller, lighter pieces the rest of the way to the job site, and an Oceanview helicopter will follow later with the three heavy sections. Volunteers will prepare the ground, place and fill the gabions, re-assemble the bridge and place it over the stream.
This will leave recreation users with a permanent metal structure wide enough for hikers and ATVs but not wide enough for full-sized vehicles.
.jpg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)