Funding for new Parsnip River Bridge to improve safety and access

Parsnip River Bridge

The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia announced financial support on Oct. 27 to replace the Parsnip River Bridge near Mackenzie, B.C., which will improve safety and capacity on Highway 97 North, a significant provincial transportation route.

Parsnip River Bridge is a critical link for communities and resource sector development in northeastern British Columbia. The current steel truss bridge, constructed in 1953, will be replaced with a wider, open-top structure that can handle larger loads along the corridor for major commercial industries. The new bridge will eliminate the current height restrictions and will have a greater capacity to accommodate heavy loads required to service resource industries like mining, forestry, oil and gas.

“We are continuing work to upgrade Highway 97 to ensure the safe, efficient movement of goods to support our resource sectors, as we committed to in B.C. on the Move. The replacement of the Parsnip River Bridge will remove another height restriction from this corridor, and help keep commercial traffic flowing safely and smoothly,” said Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The Government of Canada is contributing up to $13,653,246 to the project. British Columbia (B.C.) will contribute the remaining funds for the project, which is estimated to cost approximately $31.6 million in total.

Quick Facts

• Construction is expected to begin in fall 2017 and complete in summer 2019.
• British Columbia is prioritizing the upgrade and replacement of bridges and overpasses to accommodate the increasingly heavy and large loads that industry needs to transport, as part of its 10-year transportation plan, B.C. on the Move.