SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - An out-of-court settlement has been reached between the territorial government and the former project manager and former chief engineer of the beleaguered Deh Cho Bridge project.

The two sides announced a settlement Monday on all claims for money owed to them from their work with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation on the Deh Cho Bridge project. The corporation was removed from the project in March 2010 when the GNWT took over project management from the corporation.

Gamble and Jivkov filed affidavits in mid-June last year seeking compensation in the vicinity of $1.3 million for work they had completed on the project but were yet to be paid for.

Court documents filed in Supreme Court confirm that Justice Virginia Schuler, with the consent of both parties, allowed the case to be withdrawn from the court on Jan. 19, 2011, to go into arbitration.

While the terms of the settlement are confidential, Jivkov was seeking $817,854.34, and Gamble was seeking $533,981 in compensation.

Gamble said the settlement has been a long time coming and he's happy to finally be able to put things behind him.

"I'm glad to be done with it," he said Monday afternoon. "I was happy enough to agree. When you negotiate on a settlement sometimes you have to compromise. In the end I'm happy to move on."

Transportation Minister Michael McLeod stated in a press release issued Monday the settlements were fair and reasonable and were in accordance with the terms of the contracts Gamble and Jivkov had, adding it's time to focus on the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge, scheduled to be operational by November 2011.

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