Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, regarding infrastructure in the Sahtu region.
1. Can the Minister provide me the status of the
proposed Bear River bridge?
The proposed Bear River bridge is currently on hold while the department seeks funding for the bridge. The bridge is beyond the means of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government does not currently have a funding program for the bridge.
2. Can the Minister provide me with the GNWT
options that can be examined to financially back step the construction of the Bear River bridge?
The department is continuously examining federal funding programs that could provide the financial support for the construction of the Bear River bridge; however, there are not any current programs for which the bridge would be eligible.
3. Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the
cost of construction on the Bear River bridge?
The Department of Transportation has already completed the design and engineering work for this bridge at a cost of approximately $1.5 million. A proposed timeline and estimate of costs for the outstanding work required, including site preparation, earthworks, and the actual bridge construction are detailed below.
Proposed scope of work for future year 1 ($5 million)
•
engineering
services
•
produce
aggregates
•
site
preparation
•
start
earthworks
Proposed scope of work for future year 2 ($30 million)
•
engineering
services
•
fabricate bridge components
•
piling and pier construction
•
continue
with
earthworks
Proposed scope of work for future year 3 ($25 million)
•
engineering
services
•
install girders and precast concrete deck
panels
•
complete
earthworks.