Sudden closure of Digby County bridge sparks questions, calls to preserve it

When Ann Lewis looked out her window Wednesday morning, she saw large concrete barriers being placed on both sides of the Gates Lane bridge.

Lewis, who has lived about 45 metres from the one-lane bridge in Weymouth Mills, N.S., for almost 50 years, said it needs significant work.

"Somebody made the comment that it needed a serious sandblasting, but once you sandblasted off the rust there would be nothing left to hold it together," said Lewis. "Which is kind of a joke but in a way probably the truth."  

Despite the bridge being in need of repairs, Lewis said she would've liked to have had at least two weeks' notice of a closure.

"You're asking for an accident to happen if you don't warn people well in advance," she said. 

Nova Scotia's Department of Public Works said in a statement the bridge is closed for safety reasons, and "current weight restrictions are preventing snow clearing of the structure."

"The department will consult with the community in the coming days, and undertake an engineering review of the 100-year-old bridge before any decisions are made," provincial spokesperson Gary Andrea said in a statement to CBC News.

However, a notice posted to Nova Scotia 511 on Wednesday said the bridge on Gates Lane "will be closed permanently."

That's not the case, according to an emailed statement from the office of Digby-Annapolis MLA Jill Balser.

"It is our understanding that the closure is not permanent. Rather the temporary decision was made due to the current safety conditions of the bridge and the conditions of the bridge from recent weather," the statement said.

For now, an almost 10-kilometre detour is in place, with the closest crossing of the Sissiboo River being in the village of Weymouth. 

Lewis said there were at least a dozen vehicles turning around at the bridge on Wednesday as news of the closure spread. 

Calls to preserve heritage 

The bridge was part of the daily commute for retiree Dorothy Doucette, who lives in Weymouth North. 

"It's been a link between Weymouth Mills and Weymouth Falls forever. It's also been used when there were any road closures due to repairs or emergencies," said Doucette. 

Doucette said she would like to see the bridge maintained or repaired to preserve its history. 

Lewis said the closure brought back memories of her time on the now-defunct Weymouth Board of Trade, when it had asked the municipality to give the bridge heritage status in the early 2000s.

"Nothing ever came of that but we were hoping to preserve it because it is a piece of Weymouth history," Lewis said. 

"It means a lot to people and these types of bridges — you just don't find them that often anymore."