People walking to the Elk Falls Suspension Bridge are coming across significant construction activity with excavators and tandem dump trucks working within BC Hydro’s former John Hart penstock corridor.
That construction work will increase this fall and will require the trail route to shift a few times as people walk to the falls from the Elk Falls Suspension Bridge parking lot. These trail changes will continue to keep people safe and away from the construction activity.
“We will be removing about 75,000 cubic metres, or about 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools, of dredgeate material from the John Hart Reservoir just upstream of the John Hart Dam,” says Stephen Watson, BC Hydro spokesperson. “That material will be placed within the decommissioned penstock corridor to largely fill it in. The dredging work in the reservoir is planned to begin this fall and we’re in the process of building berms within the penstock corridor to contain the material.”
The plan is to complete the berm work within the penstock corridor by the end of October. Aecon-EBC General Partnership is the John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade Project civil works contractor.
“The trail to the suspension bridge will be temporarily rerouted onto a new berm just to the east or downstream of the pedestrian steel bridge crossing over the old penstock excavation,” says Watson. “We will then remove the pedestrian bridge and finish the construction of the new berm just to the west or upstream of the current pedestrian bridge crossing. When that’s complete, we will permanently relocate the trail this fall onto that berm. It will be a land-based trail to the suspension bridge, with the trail built to the same five percent slope as is in place for the current trail system.”
Site safety signage, information signs and fencing are in place and will be adjusted as the work moves through the various stages. There may be some intermittent closures to the trail this fall season during the two trail relocations.
“About 200,000 people visit the suspension bridge each year, and knowing how important this community amenity is, we’re trying hard to keep it open during this work and most importantly, keep people safe,” says Watson. “Please stay on the trail system and obey all site signage.”
“We have been closely coordinating with BC Parks staff so we can safely do the work yet limit the disruption and impact to the adjacent Elk Falls Provincial Park, including to the people visiting it,” added Watson.
BC Hydro says once the project is finished by 2030, the John Hart Dam will be able to withstand a major earthquake and be able to safely pass water downstream after the event has taken place. People visiting the area can also visit BC Hydro’s Campbell River Hydroelectric Facilities Discovery Centre, conveniently located within the Elk Falls Suspension Bridge parking lot. Project videos and construction reports can also be viewed at majorprojects.ca.