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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Representatives of the territorial government say construction on the more than $200-million Deh Cho Bridge will be finished by the November deadline but one MLA isn't so sure.

When Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny visited the bridge Aug. 14, he said he noticed there were a number of elements that still needed to be completed.

Currently, workers have to finish paving the bridge, adding guard rails, grouting deck panels, and putting on the membrane surface, which will protect the bridge superstructure from weather and water damage.

"I'm not quite sure and a hundred per cent convinced that it's going to be open on time," Dolynny said. "If they can't pave it (before winter) then I don't think they're going to be able to open it. So I think paving is going to be the real cipher here."

Still, Transportation Minister David Ramsay said he is confident the work will be complete in time.

"We keep moving toward that date and it looks promising," said Ramsay. "We're anxious to move this forward, to get it open and move on."

In 2011, construction on the bridge was delayed after steel deliveries came in behind schedule. As a result, work on weather-sensitive construction activities, such as paving, had to be put on hold until this year. The delay and other surprises caused the budget to balloon to $202 million from the $55 million set out a decade ago.

For the next 35 years, the government will be making payments toward bonds taken out to pay for the bridge. Tolls charged to commercial vehicles using the superstructure will be used to cover the cost. The government is proposing the tolls start at $91.25 to $275 per vehicle, depending on the number of axles and whether a remittance plan is in place. The toll will be implemented as soon as the bridge opens, according to Earl Blacklock, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation.

Ramsay added that once the bridge is operational and goods are moving across it, he plans to commission a report on the project.

"I do believe there are a number of lessons that the government can and should learn from its involvement in this project and we'll do that," he said.

It's too bad those lessons weren't learned before, Dolynny said, adding it was disappointing that the cost overruns negatively affected the end product.

"It's unfortunate that we had to do so many cutbacks, such as the walkway, such as painting the (piers) ... providing accent lighting and auxiliary lighting," he said, saying the piers are particularly unattractive because they have been coated with a protective material that makes the steel look rusty. "We truly could have had a much better looking product and be more proud of it."

Ramsay said the government won't be having the piers painted due to cost.

"It would cost millions and millions of dollars more to paint it and then when you did paint it, you would have to worry about touching up that painting," Ramsay said. "So it's going to be left that way and again the steel will age and five years from now it won't look the same way as it does today."

As for lighting, Blacklock, said the bridge will be sporting low intensity lights.

"It won't be brilliantly lit up for two reasons: one is we adapted our lighting to minimize risk to migratory birds and the second ... we wanted to keep the lighting to the point that they eyes could quickly adapt back to total darkness."

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