The Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) has engaged a contractor to conduct repair works on the old Bailey Steel Bridge, located next to the White River clinic and police station.
This decision comes after a recent comprehensive assessment by engineers from the Transport Infrastructure Management Services Department (TIMSD) which identified signs of structural loosening that necessitate immediate fixing.
MID, in a statement, said that the old steel bridge will be temporarily closed for repair works.
Residents will be advised to use an alternate route, one that trails from the 01-bus stop to the White River clinic.
“Our team has also learnt that continuous heavy rainfall and poor waste disposal practices along the alternate route have resulted in the clogging of the drain and cutting of the road section.
“We procure culvert blocks and will place them over the drain and reseal this section. This will restore this strip that has been cut off, affecting the public.
“So once the alternative route is fixed, our contractor will shift focus to repairing the steel bridge with the support of our engineers.
“We understand the safety concerns expressed by the White River community, and we are committed to commencing these essential repairs as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Updates will be provided to keep the west Honiara residents informed on the progress of the repairs.
For months the bridge experienced issues with its steel platform which collapsed.
However, this week some temporary work had been done to strengthen the platform allowing traffic to flow through freely.
