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TTHEK'EHDELI/JEAN MARIE RIVER - The completion of a six-day project has given the Ek'alia Creek Bridge a new lease on life.

From Aug. 11 to 16 a crewfrom Jean Marie River replaced the timber deck on the bridge.

Rotting lumber, left, from the timber deck of the Ek'alia Creek Bridge on the Jean Marie River access road was removed and replaced with treated lumber. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The deck had reached the end of its 20-year lifespan, said Ann Lanteigne, head of highway structures for the Department of Transportation.

When the bridge was put in place in 1988 at kilometre 0.8 of the Jean Marie River access road, the deck was made of untreated spruce.

"We've experimented with quite a few types of timber decks," Lanteigne said.

The new deck on the bridge is the longest-lasting one the department could find. Treated fir sub-timbers now support treated spruce running boards.

The department provided the materials and supervised the work while Jean Marie River First Nation completed a contract for the equipment and labour.

"It was a good example of teamwork between the Department of Transportation and the community to get the job done quickly," Lanteigne said.

The project provided employment for five community members, said Gerald Grossetete, works foreman for the Jean Marie River First Nation.

Removing the old deck wasn't difficult, he said.

"All that stuff was rotten and water-logged," said Grossetete.

To help preserve the structure, the crew painted the girders with rust inhibitor before putting the new planks on.

"It's looking really good," he said.

The crew laid planks over the bridge to allow traffic to cross the 24-metre long, single-lane structure.

Traffic wasn't a problem because most community members only drove as far as the bridge to check on the progress before turning around again, said Grossetete.

The new deck is expected to last another 15 to 20 years.