Work begins on Berens River Bridge

It’s expected to take about two years to complete construction of the Berens River Bridge.

When compete, the Berens River Bridge will connect the Pikangikum First Nation with the all-weather road system, eliminating the need for a winter ice road.

Work on the project is beginning this week, including aggregate blasting, which will produce materials to help prepare the bridge site.

In a news release, the provincial government says, “the bridge will be the first of its kind in Canada to integrate mass timber structural components into major transportation infrastructure”.

The project was first announced in August of 2024.

MD Steele is the primary bridge contractor.

Alex Peters is the president of the Whitefeather Community Resource Management Authority and says the bridge is a key piece of infrastructure for the region.

“The Berens River bridge was part of the vision of Pikangikum Elders for the Whitefeather Forest Initiative,” says Peters.

“It fulfills the direction they gave as they guided the development of Keeping the Land, the official land use strategy for the Whitefeather Forest…The Berens River Bridge will really benefit Pikangikum and our neighbouring First Nations by providing improved access to our communities.”

The Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority is working with the federal government on the project, which is expected to wrap up in 2028.