Almost three years after an embarrassing malfunction, the Nipigon River Bridge is now open to four lanes.
The province announced Nov. 23 that the Trans-Canada Highway span, east of Thunder Bay on Highway 11-17, is operating at full capacity.
The $106-million cable bridge failed 42 days after opening to traffic in January 2016.
An engineering report revealed that improperly tightened bolts snapped on a section of the bridge, causing the steel deck to raise 60 centimetres. Traffic was brought to a halt on the only highway connection to Western Canada.
One lane was opened the next day, followed by two lanes a month later while repairs were made.
The structure consists of three towers with cables supporting the bridge deck and a separate sidewalk for pedestrians.
“The Nipigon River Bridge is a critical link between Eastern and Western Canada,” said Energy, Northern Development and Mines Minister Greg Rickford in a statement. With the bridge open to all lanes, we are keeping Northern Ontario open for business.”
