Driving around Port Hawkesbury will be different starting Thursday, October 9.

The bridges connecting Granville Street to Reeves Street in Port Hawkesbury will be closed for repairs or replacement until at least the winter.

Town of Port Hawkesbury, Chief Administrative Officer, Terry Doyle is leading the project’s repairs and financing.

“Until we finish the investigative work and look at the scope of work, we won’t really know how long we’ll be down. But it will be for a significant amount of time that the bridges will be closed,” stated Doyle.

He says most bridges in Nova Scotia are owned by the province, but the town owns these ones and will not receive provincial funding.

Replacing the bridges would be one of the Town’s biggest capital costs to replace the bridges estimated at approximately $5 million for the two-lane bridge.

Repairs to the deteriorating pile cap are being considered.

“The design process will give us tender documents. We’ll evaluate tenders, and then award tenders,” says Doyle.

At a public meeting, council passed a motion to reach out to the MLA Kyle MacQuarrie to see if any financial support can be given.

Alternate routes will be available for motorists who are reminded to allow extra travel time.

Pedestrians will still be able to cross using a safe walking path on the single-lane bridge.