A replacement for the Texaco bridge is on its way now that a North Vancouver company has secured the contract.

The $3 million project is meant to improve the bridge’s safety and capacity for heavy traffic. The bridge on Buick Creek Road, about 70 km north of Fort St. John, crosses Umback Creek. The project gets underway in April, for completion by the end of September.

“As we continue to develop our resources and communities, I’m pleased we’ve been able to continue making improvements to our transportation infrastructure,” said Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm.

“Replacing the older Texaco Bridge with a structure designed for higher capacity is a good example of putting words into action.”

The shoulders will be widened for 160 metres, 80 metres on either side to match the new bridge, which will have a 10.2 metre surface. The current bridge is only 7.3 metres wide.