Fernie Pedestrian Bridge

The City of Fernie was extending their paved pedestrian pathways, working to connect the local ski hill to the downtown of Fernie. Cabin’s role in the project was to create a covered bridge over a small creek to match the Fairy Creek covered bridge on the other side of town.

The covered bridge had load rating requirements to handle vehicle traffic. A large steel frame was fabricated off site and needed to be lifted into place. The narrow trail corridor and proximity to power lines limited our machine options. We placed an excavator on either side of the creek channel, dividing the weight requirements, and reducing the needed length of boom. Allowing for two smaller machines to move the super structure into position while maintaining employee safety.

Working at heights over a creek created challenges for safe ladder placement and scaffold options so we altered our work process to allow access through the roof structure and utilized the fall arrest systems from above.

This bridge is a part of a bigger plan to connect the community, making it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to move between the ski hill and downtown. Plus, it looks awesome and blends perfectly with Fernie’s mountain town vibe!