Pictou County council presses province for action on Welsford Bridge

Pictou County council is pressing the province for action on the closed Welsford Bridge in River John after receiving a petition signed by about 600 people calling for the bridge to be reopened.

Council recently voted unanimously to send a letter to the province asking for a clearer plan and an earlier timeline for the bridge work, said Coun. Ronnie Baillie, who represents District 4 on the Municipality of Pictou County.

The letter is being sent to the Department of Public Works, Pictou West MLA Marco MacLeod, and Premier Tim Houston, Baillie said.

The Welsford Bridge is one of two bridges in Baillie’s district that went out of service within about a week of each other. The other is the West Branch Bridge.

Baillie said the West Branch Bridge is scheduled for replacement in 2028, while work on the Welsford Bridge may not happen until 2031 at the earliest.

The municipality wants the province to move those timelines forward, or at minimum provide a clearer indication of what will happen with the Welsford Bridge.

“We’ve got to raise the issue of our bridge,” Baillie said, adding council and residents need to keep the issue “on the front burner” with the province.

Baillie said three options have been discussed for the Welsford Bridge: leaving the bridge closed and paving Allen Road, installing a panel bridge similar to a Bailey bridge, or completely replacing the bridge.

He said a panel bridge, which could have a lifespan of between five and 20 years, has emerged as a preferred interim option among some residents and local officials because it could potentially reopen the crossing sooner.

Baillie said he, some residents, and the local fire chief discussed the options with MacLeod and supported pursuing a panel bridge.

However, he said there is still no date for the work and he believes even that option could remain years away.

“The department is considering options for the Welsford Bridge, with access to emergency services being a major consideration,” Public Works communications adviser Gary Andrea said.

“A timeline on when work will take place will be known once a final decision is made on an option.”

Andrea said the department had nothing further to add when asked for more information about the options being considered.

Baillie said emergency response is one of the major reasons the municipality wants the issue addressed sooner. With the bridge closed, he said fire trucks and ambulances have to travel farther to reach some residents.

The closure has also changed everyday life for people living nearby.

Agnes Murray has lived on a working farm in the area for more than 50 years and said she used to cross the Welsford Bridge every day.

Murray and Linda Tingley helped organize the petition after the closure began affecting residents’ ability to travel through the community.

“We were cut off completely,” Murray said.

She said the bridge had been part of her regular route to River John for activities including exercise classes, trips to the library, and getting gas.

Murray went door to door seeking signatures for the petition and said the message she heard from residents was consistent.

“Get the bridge replaced. Replace it,” she said.

Murray does not support relying on Allen Road as an alternative to the bridge, saying she considers the road unsafe to travel. She wants the Welsford Bridge replaced rather than leaving it closed and relying on a detour.

Emergency access is also a major concern for her.

“If we have an emergency,” Murray said, fire crews and first responders “have to travel further. It’s a longer distance.”

Murray welcomed council’s unanimous decision to take the issue to the province and urged municipal officials to continue applying pressure.

“They’re doing a good job, just keep it up,” she said. “We want this bridge replaced.”

She also questioned how the bridge was allowed to deteriorate to the point that it had to be closed and called for better long-term planning and maintenance of rural infrastructure.

Murray said the province needs to understand that the effects of a bridge closure extend beyond transportation.

“Having no bridge really, really impacts our communities,” she said.

Baillie said council intends to continue pressing the province for a solution.

“I’d like to see the timeline moved up, that’s for sure,” he said.