Bruce Vale Bridge in St Andrew will be demolished starting Monday, January 13, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. in preparation for its reconstruction. The demolition is estimated to take three weeks, followed by the rebuilding process which should last approximately ten months.
Bruce Vale Bridge is the first of eight bridges to undergo reconstruction under the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Programme (SDRRP) of the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW). In preparation for this stage of the work, a temporary by-pass road, the Bruce Vale Link Road, was constructed last year and opened in June 2024 to facilitate access to Baxters, Bruce Vale, Sylvans Village/Dark Hole, and surrounding communities. Protective gabions were built, and the under bridge and river banks were also cleared by a team from the China National Complete Plant Import and Export Corporation (COMPLANT) along with its sub-contractor Infra Construction Inc. The upcoming work will include the continuation of protective gabions and the installation of the prefabricated bridge structure which is on the island but was constructed and tested in China.
During the demolition and reconstruction of the Bruce Vale Bridge, no pedestrian or vehicular access will be allowed. Road users are advised to use the Bruce Vale Link Road, except for heavy-duty vehicles weighing or carrying loads of 2 tonnes or more as the road has a 2T weight restriction. Transport Board buses as well as emergency vehicles will continue to serve both sides of the bridge.
The Bruce Vale Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 2021 because the existing structure could no longer carry load despite several attempts to reinforce the old bridge.
The COMPLANT team has also demolished the St. Simon’s Bridge in St Andrew in preparation for its reconstruction. MTW continues to collaborate with the COMPLANT team and local engineers regarding the designs for the other bridges earmarked for reconstruction under the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Programme. They are the Cane Garden Bridge in St. Thomas; Melvin Hill Bridge, St. John; Babylon Bridge, St. Andrew; and Trio Path Bridge, Tent Bay Bridge, and Dark Hole Bridge in St. Joseph.
MTW thanks residents, businesses and road users for their patience and cooperation as work continues under the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Programme. (PR/MTW)