A large cable that helps to support the NWT’s $200-million Deh Cho Bridge has broken, triggering an investigation.
The broken cable was publicized on Facebook in a video showing a section of the bridge where only two cables appeared instead of the usual three.
The NWT government said the bridge remained operational with a lane reduction and a lower-than-normal speed limit of 30 km/h.
The Deh Cho Bridge, completed just over a decade ago, is a cable-supported truss bridge. It replaced a ferry that previously carried vehicles and supplies across the Mackenzie River outside Fort Providence.
How the cable broke is not yet clear, the NWT’s Department of Infrastructure said in a statement.
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“The safety of travellers using the Deh Cho Bridge is our number-one priority and an investigation is under way regarding a broken cable on the bridge,” the department told Cabin Radio by email.
The department said the bridge “was designed with redundancy built in, so the bridge can remain functional with a damaged or removed cable.”
According to the department, the “original Deh Cho Bridge expert team” has been called in to review the bridge’s safety and plan repair work.
That team is on its way to the bridge to carry out an assessment, the department added, and is “in contact” with the cables’ original manufacturer and installer.
“GNWT staff are reviewing camera footage to determine the cause of the damage,” a department spokesperson wrote.
The lane reduction and new speed limit will remain in place while the assessment and repair work are carried out.
