By Dave Branco

Quesnel River Bridge

Concrete evidence: Falling chunks and rising voices push for a new Quesnel River Bridge

Aug 6, 2025 | 3:02 PM

Quesnel – The Quesnel River Bridge has been a source of ongoing debate for nearly a decade. As the province develops plans for a new route, one politician has drawn attention to the bridge’s deterioration in the legislature, emphasizing the need for immediate action on this critical issue.

Newly elected MLA Sheldon Clare drew attention to the Quesnel River Bridge for those in Victoria by singing in the legislature. The City of Quesnel has been working with the province to develop a plan for a new route. However, in the meantime, Clare emphasizes the urgent need to replace the bridge.

“ Girders have noticeable damage and corrosion issues. You’ll see pieces of concrete that are coming off the bottom of this bridge, some of them as big as 25 pounds. It also has some serious structural concerns.”

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Sheldon Clare

MLA Prince George-North Cariboo

Sheldon Clare acknowledges that much of the erosion visible on the surface is merely cosmetic. However, he has been informed by an expert that this bridge requires a closer inspection, as some pieces are beginning to rust and may eventually fall off.

In May 2019, the City of Quesnel and the province initiated a preliminary design for the Quesnel North-South Interconnector, which will include a new bridge.

“ We need to get all of those trucks, dangerous goods and things away from downtown, away from the hospital, the old folks’ homes, and just make this whole corridor a lot safer. So for us, it’s a very, very big project. We jump through all the hoops at this point in time, and we just want to keep moving forward with the government.”

Scott Elliott

Acting Mayor, City of Quesnel

Advocates for a new bridge argue that it will enhance safety, speed up travel, strengthen the supply chain, and ensure quicker emergency response times.

Over the years, the bridge has been closed several times due to motor vehicle accidents.

The project has completed the preliminary design phase. This project is not currently funded to advance beyond this phase.

Email: Dave.Branco@pattisonmedia.com

TikTok: @DaveBrancoVJ