A historic wooden bridge in the North Okanagan is being replaced, but as a new bridge is being built alongside it over the Shuswap River, a group of residents is pushing to have the old structure preserved for its historical value and as a crossing they say would be safer for pedestrians.
The one-lane truss wooden Baxter Bridge was built in 1950 over Trinity Valley Road, about 11 kilometres east of Enderby. It is at the end of its lifespan as a load-bearing bridge, having had repairs throughout 2021 after the Ministry of Transportation found serious structural issues the previous year.
Baxter Bridge is being replaced with a two-lane steel and concrete bridge. Designed to last 75 years, the new bridge is being built just upstream of the old one.
The road to the bridge is being realigned, and the province says the new bridge and realignment will enhance safety and corridor reliability.
The plan is to demolish Baxter Bridge once the new bridge is completed, but a group of residents is pushing to have those plans changed.
A Facebook group called Save the Baxter Bridge has been launched and has close to 400 members as of Friday afternoon.
The group was created by Greg Robinson, who has lived near the bridge for 50 years.
Robinson told The Morning Star the group would like to see Baxter Bridge preserved for two main reasons.
"The historical value for the community is huge," he said. "It's been a very big part of our community, it's right next to the Riverside Hall which is our community club, it provides great access to the river. It just seems like a shame to see something like that go."
The second reason stems from concerns about pedestrian safety with the new bridge. In particular, the group is concerned that the new bridge will not have sidewalks, only widened shoulders.
According to an email obtained by The Morning Star from project manager Scott McKenzie, sidewalks were looked into during the design phase of the new bridge but deemed unnecessary at the time.
McKenzie said the wide shoulders will be "much safer than the existing bridge for pedestrians and cyclists."
But the group pushing to save Baxter Bridge isn't so sure. Robinson said the new concrete bridge is sloped and in the winter time "there's going to be icing issues on it, I can guarantee you, and it poses a hazard for pedestrians," especially if the speed limit on the new bridge is 80 km/hr as it currently is on Trinity Valley Road.
According to McKenzie, he agrees it would be "wonderful" to leave Baxter Bridge up for its historical and recreational value, but said the contract for removing the bridge has already been awarded and the government would be in a breach of contract with the contractor if the demolition plans were scrapped.
"To do this, the Ministry would likely be faced with significant construction claims which would not be in the best interest of the public taxpayer," the email states.
Robinson doesn't agree that the contract to demolish the bridge should be binding to the point that plans can't be reversed at this stage.
And while McKenzie said leaving the bridge in place would be unsafe and poses a liability for the ministry, Robinson is skeptical that the bridge couldn't safely support pedestrians while vehicles use the new bridge.
The group has reached out to the ministry, the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO), elected officials and anyone else who may have a say in the matter. So far, only McKenzie has responded to their requests.
The Morning Star has reached out to the Ministry of Transportation, which is working on a response which was not provided by the time of publication.
RDNO Area F Director Alyssa Hopkins did not respond to a request for comment.
Construction on the new bridge is expected to wrap up by the spring of 2026; the main bridge structure has already been erected. The province has not yet shared a timeline for when Baxter Bridge is to be demolished.
