NIPIGON, Ont. — Consultants working on a study of potential alternate crossings of the Nipigon River—to be used in the event of an emergency shutdown of the Highway 11/17 bridge—have identified some locations.
One of them is an existing bridge at the Cameron Falls dam, about 17 kilometres north of Nipigon.
However, project manager Neil Ahmed of WSP Canada says the study team has not yet designated this spot or any other locations as official "options."
At meetings this week with area communities and at a public information centre (Thursday) in Nipigon, they are being presented on maps as "alternative routes."
"These are all just concepts, potential routes, for comment. We want to get some public and local community input on what we've got so far. We don't have anything particular picked out yet," Ahmed said in an interview Tuesday.
He acknowledged that the Cameron Falls crossing offers an opportunity to use existing infrastructure, but said the team will consider a range of options, including ones requiring a new bridge and a new piece of roadway north of Lake Helen, or a temporary bridge south of Lake Helen that would be installed only in an emergency.
The maps on display also show alternative corridors between Highway 11 east of the river and Highway 585 west of the river.
Red Rock Indian Band Chief Matt Dupuis, whose community has a representative working directly with the Ministry of Transportation's consultants, said he has no preference for a location at this point.
Dupuis noted that planning, design, environmental assessment and construction will be a long process, likely a few years.
"What type of route are we talking about...is it just going to be an access like an escape route...is it going to be like a secondary highway? None of those things we know yet," he said.
For Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey, the project's economic impact on local communities is top of mind.
Harvey said it's important to consider what provides "the greatest amount of work...and the greatest economic benefit" for the area communities.
"It's not just [about] having a way for people to get across Canada," he said.
