that project for its complexity. “It’s been a real interesting build, because there’s a lot of old technology,” he says. “If we were going to build a structure like that today, it would look a lot different. So we’re replacing the old technology with new technology, but we’re making it look the same. There’s a lot that goes into that.” Logistically, that project is also extremely important to the communities it connects. M.D. Steele is also proud that they were able to come up with a plan that has preserved both vehicular and pedestrian access to it even throughout construction. “That bridge is one of the main corridors connecting the two sides of the river,” Richard explains. “If you want to get across, your next option is upriver or downriver many kilometres. So it was very, very important to all the stakeholders in the area that we maintain the ability to traverse that bridge during the course of construction. That added many challenges, but we figured it out. Even though we were giving it a $40 million overhaul, we were able to maintain traffic as if the bridge was still open.” Lastly, Richard and the team at M.D. Steele are also proud of the Indigenous outreach and collaboration that project inspired. “There was a real commitment fromthegovernment toworking with various Indigenous groups to try to involve them in the revitalizing of this structure,” Richard explains. “We were happy to take part in that. We’ve been able to engage with some Indigenous partners and we’ve been able to start building and fostering some new and really interesting relationships.” “So there are a lot of really neat things going on in this project,” he says. “For us, it’s been very different from the typical bridge project. It’s allowed us to open some doors.” “And it’s an important structure for the province,” he adds. “At the end of the day, when we turn that structure over, we’ll be able to say that we did the last major overhaul on it. The next overhaul definitely won’t be in my lifetime. To be able to play a part in this one is pretty cool.” “That’s the nice thing about what we do,” he concludes. “We’ve gotten to be a part of some projects of significance. They are important projects for a number of different reasons, not just because they’re big or they look cool, but because they serve important functions.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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