Innovative North Bay bridge racking up accolades

A newly redeveloped bridge that closes the gap between North Bay and Nipissing First Nation is racking up accolades.

The Duchesnay Creek Bridge underwent significant redevelopment and those involved in the project were awarded a Northern Ontario Excellence Award for its use of timber.

It’s the third award the bridge has earned.

The Northern Ontario Excellence Award is awarded by the Wood-Works Program of the Canadian Wood Council.

It recognizes wood design and celebrates projects using wood in all types of construction.

"The bridge was selected because the use of timber in bridges is very uncommon,” said Sarah Hicks, of Wood-Works! Ontario

“Of all the bridges in Ontario, fewer than two per cent of them actually use wood. This is a real example of what can be done."

The award was presented to the Ministry of Transportation and Nipissing First Nation by Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota.

"It's a great advancement in the use of sustainable materials in the highway construction industry,” said Matthew Curry of the MTO.

“It’s something I'm hoping to see more of in the future."

"By having projects like this that come to the forefront, people realize how versatile wood is and we're a major manufacturer of it here in Ontario where we produce it," Rota said.

The original timber truss bridge was built in the 1930s and has been designated as a heritage structure. Spanning 74 metres, it had a timber main span, which was the only one of its kind in Ontario.

Initial plans recommended a concrete deck and steel girder assembly. But the decision to pursue a wood option was made to pay homage to the original structure.

The MTO, Miller Northern Paving and Nipissing First Nation all collaborated to get the project built. It was a struggle for the First Nation community to get involved, but it fought hard to be a business partner.

"We've opened up opportunities for us to show just what we can do as business partners and how we can contribute to the local and regional economy,” said Scott McLeod, Nipissing First Nation Chief.

The bridge redevelopment started in late 2019 and was completed last year. It cost roughly $5 million.

"It's one of the greatest projects I've built and I've been doing this for 35 years," said Chris O'Reilly of Miller Northern Paving.

It's the third award the project has received.