Fort Good Hope (May 31/04) - The only bridge to the Fort Good Hope airport has been temporarily closed while the Department of Transportation determines how to repair a steel retaining wall that has come apart.

In the meantime, a temporary bridge was erected and completed over the weekend.

The main bridge has been closed to vehicles since May 21. People had been walking across the bridge until the department ordered it closed as of last Thursday, said Bob Kelly, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation.

"Things are highly stressful right now. The community has initiated the emergency measures process with MACA," said Norman Yakeleya, MLA for the Sahtu region.

A state of emergency has been declared by the town's senior administrative officer.

Ice is suspected to have damaged the bridge's support structure during spring break-up, Kelly said.

The 30m long bridge, steel framed with wooden planks forming the driving surface, was built in 1995.

Once repaired, the bridge should be safe for many years, Kelly said.

Construction on a culvert-based temporary bridge began late last week and should be operational by today, Kelly said.

Residents have been manning the bridge 24 hours a day to ensure nobody crosses it, Yakeleya said.

But Yakeleya said the latest report he received stated that some people have been walking the two miles from the bridge into town.

Another concern was getting a sewage truck into the airport.

People at the airport had been making use of outdoor facilities. A portable toilet and bottled water have been brought in to deal with the sewage problem, Kelly said.

"It stinks out there," said Yakeleya.

Yakeleya said he intended to bring the issue up during the current legislative session.

The new temporary bridge should be able to handle the weight of a sewage truck, though it won't support heavy equipment, Kelly said.

Fortunately, air service into Fort Good Hope will not be interrupted, said Andrew Bailes, chief pilot with North-Wright Airways, which provides service to the area.

Even if the bridge is permanently closed, Bailes is confident an old landing strip located in town could be used with some renovations.

But it's unlikely the bridge will be closed forever.

"We'll proceed with the permanent repairs of the bridge as soon as we can, but it won't happen within the next week or two," Kelly said.

The Department of Transportation will be paying for the cost of any repairs to the bridge, Kelly said.

Calls to the local band council were directed to the GNWT Department of Transportation.