A temporary bridge has opened on the main road to Peggy’s Cove, after nearly a month of lengthy detours for people attempting to reach one of Nova Scotia’s top tourist destinations.
On Friday afternoon, Nova Scotia’s Department of Public Works announced on social media that crews have opened a single-lane temporary bridge on Route 333 in Blind Bay — about 13 km outside the small rural community, which is home to the famous lighthouse on the shore of St. Margaret’s Bay.
“Traffic is controlled by temporary traffic signals.” a post from the department said.
The road was washed out amid the historic flash flooding that swept through the region in late July.
The closure was previously causing tourists to take an alternate, longer route around the peninsula to reach the destination, as many were forced to drive an extra hour after running into the roadblock.
In an interview with Global News on Thursday, Ambassatours Gray Line CEO Dennis Campbell said the blocked route was causing “tremendous challenges” for some in the tourism industry.
“It’s creating a lot of delays for our tours,” he said, noting that all the traffic that’d traditionally migrate down one road was all being confined into one lane.
He also said the lengthy commute was causing some cruise ships to stay in port longer than expected as they waited for guests to return, therefore resulting in additional costs for the companies as they burned extra fuel.
On Thursday, a statement from Public Works said a plan was in place to restore road access earlier — until some problems occurred.
“Unfortunately, we ran into complications, including dealing with an outcrop of bedrock when contractors tried to excavate for installation of a large culvert — and more rain — that created challenging delays,” department spokesperson Gary Andrea says.
The Department of Public Works is advising drivers to use caution when travelling in the area.