The Fourth Street Bridge in Revelstoke was recently struck by a municipal truck. The damage forced its closure, blocking the only route to the Queen Victoria Hospital, says Mayor Gary Sulz.
Queen Victoria Hospital is the single most comprehensive health care facility available to the community of Revelstoke, approximately 155 kilometres northeast of Kelowna.
The incident on August 1, which damaged beams on the bridge, interrupted normal traffic for about six hours, from just before noon until 6 p.m.
No impacts to patients, staff or care have been identified due to the bridge closure, the BC Interior Health Authority confirms.
During the incident, the Interior Health Authority worked closely with the City of Revelstoke […] to minimize the impact [de l’incident] on patient care and hospital operations, said Angela Szabo, director of clinical operations at the authority.
British Columbia Emergency Health Services also supported the authority’s comments, saying no operations were affected by the accident and they are not aware of any impact on patients.
One way closes, another opens
Mayor Gary Sulz has already asked the province for funding to build a second lane to Queen Victoria Hospital.
We asked the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, who owns the bridges, what our responsibilities were, Sulz said. And they told us that the bridges [dans la ville] were our responsibility.
Revelstoke’s mayor says adding a new bridge would cost the city between $17 million and $35 million. Residents have heard us talk about the project, and they want to see it. [se concrétiser]but we can’t get all that money from taxpayers, he said.
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Repairs were made to the Fourth Street Bridge on August 1 following an accident with a city truck.
Photo : City of Revelstoke
The Interior Health Authority says it supports continued discussions about a second route to the Queen Victoria Hospital. We remain committed to working with the City of Revelstoke, Szabo said.
In addition to adding a second lane, Mayor Sulz believes the current bridge is outdated and needs replacing. He believes the incident on the Fourth Street Bridge will give more weight to his demands. He believes it will allow for more constructive discussions about how and when to move forward.
The Department of Transportation was not available for comment on the matter.
With information from Cory Bullock