A newly-designed Bailey Bridge on Highway 602 is expected to go under construction later this summer, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation. The ministry has awarded a contract to PNI Construction to replace the Highway 602 Rainy River Tributary Bridge (Bailey Bridge) with a new culvert and surface course paving. The construction work is expected to start later this summer and is planned to be completed next year. The bridge has been out of commission since the fall of 2022. Locals had lobbied the government and taken to social media to dispute the safety of the bridge and express concern for school buses, which were navigating the bridge daily. The ministry investigated the bridge and closed it to all traffic. It has since been removed, with barriers installed to prevent access. The ministry asks the public to follow Ontario511.ca for up-to-date construction and traffic impacts.
