Christina Lake’s long-awaited pedestrian bridge is being installed this week.
Regional district director Grace McGregor said she is thrilled to see the span across Christina Creek becoming a reality.
“A long, long time we’ve wanted to have this happen for many reasons,” she said. “Safety, tourism, a connection between one side of the lake to the other, and the bridge that’s currently there is a bit of a danger to walkers, quite frankly.”
The aluminum bridge was pre-assembled in Scotch Creek and brought to Christina Lake in four pieces. Cranes have been set up on either side of the creek to place each piece on pilings that were recently put in place.
McGregor said it will still be a while before it’s possible to use the bridge, because the cover and wooden walkway still need to be added.
She added there is great interest in the community about the project. Still to come will be signage and pathway links.
For now, you can just call it the Christina Lake walking bridge. McGregor said it would be up to the local parks and recreation committee to decide if it gets any other name.
The bridge will be 74 metres (244 feet) long and is costing $1.6 million, to be paid for through a combination of grants and short-term borrowing. Last year the provincial government provided an active transportation grant of $500,000.
The project has been in the works for more than a decade. The spot where the bridge crosses is where the old highway bridge was until 1962.
