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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The territorial government is using $13.3 million in repaid loan money from the government of New Brunswick to repair shoddy work by former Deh Cho Bridge builder, Atcon Construction.

To date, the Department of Transportation has spent $6.5 million of the money from New Brunswick on "remediation work."

The dollar amount was highlighted in a report released by the conflict of interest commissioner of New Brunswick, Feb. 18. The money is not news to the GNWT's Department of Transportation, however, said spokesperson Earl Blacklock. In fact, the department received the money "years ago."

The Miramichi, N.B.-based Atcon was the original contractor for the Deh Cho Bridge project but its contract was terminated by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation on Dec. 30, 2009. The New Brunswick government had signed loan guarantees for Atcon, and thus were left on the hook when Atcon was placed into receivership in February 2010.

To date, the Department of Transportation has spent $6.5 million of the money from New Brunswick to the GNWT on "remediation work," said Blacklock.

"Basically, wherever deficiencies in Atcon's work were identified, that's what the money is intended to provide," he said.

Starting this June, work will begin on assessing Pier 3 North, and installing scour rock at the base of the piers.

Pier 3 North is one of four piers installed by Atcon. The Deh Cho Bridge is supported by a total of eight piers. There are concerns Pier 3 North was built using the wrong type of concrete, said Blacklock. However, there is no risk the pier will need to be rebuilt.

"The pier itself is doing the work that it was intended to do," said Blacklock. "The issue is if you have weak spots - if you have an area of depression - then over the 75 years of the design life, re-bar can be exposed (and) the bridge won't have the support the designer intended."

Before repairs on the pier can begin, a coffer dam will be built, the water surrounding the pier will be pumped out and a physical inspection will be completed, said Blacklock. What happens next will depend entirely on what is found during the inspection.

Scour rock is crushed rock which is installed at the base of each pier to protect it from flowing water and debris.

This work is expected to be complete by the end of this calendar year. However, depending what repairs Pier 3 North requires, the project may stretch into the 2014 construction season, said Blacklock. Regardless, once all of the requirements for Atcon's work have been met, any funds left over out of the $13.3 million will be returned to New Brunswick taxpayers, he said.

In his conflict of interest report, Justice Patrick Ryan of New Brunswick found former premier Shawn Graham guilty of a conflict of interest for his role in bailing out Atcon with $50 million in loan guarantees in 2010. Graham's father, a former cabinet minister in New Brunswick, Alan Graham, was employed by a Swedish subsidiary of Atcon at the time of the bailout. Shawn Graham was personally fined $3,500 for the infraction.

The money budgeted for fixing problems left behind by Atcon is not part of the overall budget for the Deh Cho Bridge, insisted Blacklock.

To date, construction of the Deh Cho Bridge has cost $202 million. While the bridge opened on Nov. 30, further work, including installing emergency phones, cattle gates, hand rails and lighting remains to be done during the 2013 construction season.

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