Redknife River Bridge now allows for flow of traffic and fish

A reconstructed bridge over Redknife River is now open to traffic, the territorial government’s Department of Infrastructure announced on Wednesday.

The bridge is located about 180 kilometres southeast of Fort Simpson on Highway 1.

A statement provided by the department said the bridge replaces three culverts constructed in 1971.

“While the culverts remained structurally sound, erosion of the riverbed and changes in water levels created conditions that seasonally prevented fish from passing upstream,” the statement said.

The new bridge is designed to accommodate changing water levels, the department added.

Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said the new bridge had restored the flow of water and migratory fish.

“The Redknife River also has deep historical and cultural significance for the Dene,” Grand Chief Norwegian was quoted as saying in Wednesday’s news release.

“At the mouth of the river is a place where thousands of Dene gathered generations ago for an important ceremony marking the coming of a new world.

“We are honoured to see the river returned to a more natural state, with free-flowing water that connects this important place to the land, the people who came before us and those who will come after us.”

The territory’s Gahcho Kué diamond mine contributed $9.5 million to the project as a form of compensation for fish habitat loss around the mine, a requirement of its Fisheries Act authorization.

Traffic on the bridge will initially be limited to one lane while finishing work is completed at the site, the infrastructure department said.