On April 24 the pedestrian bridge on the old Nicola, Kamloops and Similkameen railway which connects Quilchena Ave. with Hwy. 8 near Norgaard Ready-Mix Ltd. was closed to the public.
The city cited the reason for closure as erosion of the bridge abutments, which could potentially wash out, taking the bridge and bystanders into the river with it.
The railway tracks were removed on the line between Spences Bridge and Merritt in 1991 and the trail has been popular for walking and cycling since then. Due to its popularity and historical significance, the city has contracted an engineering firm to create a plan to repair the bridge.
“An Engineering firm is currently working on the design for repair, once the repair is complete the bridge will open and we will share that out to residents,” said City of Merritt Communications Manager, Will George.
“During the bridge closure we are advising residents to explore our other trail networks throughout the Nicola Valley via the Nicola Valley Trail Guide.”
