The provincial environment department has finished inspections of 125 bridges and trestles along the former railway line and a number are closed until further notice.
Closed are:
- Glide Brook
- Middle Brook
- Barry Brook
- Fischells Brook
- Robinsons River East
- Robinsons River West
- Flat Bay
- Morris Brook
- Codroy North
Mary Anne Brook and Black Duck Brook, closed earlier in the week are being re-opened.
Morris Brook was identified by Transport Canada inspectors as "gone', meaning the bridge had collapsed or been removed.
Glide Brook was previously identified by the province as having passed inspection.
Here's a comparison of the final provincial list and the 18 bridges identified by Transport Canada:
| Serial | EnvCon | Transport Canada | Comments |
| 1. | Robinson River East | Robinson River East | Closed by EnvCon |
| 2. | Robinson River West | Closed by EnvCon | |
| 3. | Glide Brook | Closed by EnvCon, despite previously being inspected and cleared | |
| 4. | Middle Brook | Middle Brook | Closed by EnvCon |
| 5. | Barry Brook | Barry Brook | Closed by EnvCon |
| 6. | Fischells Brook | Fischells Brook | Closed by EnvCon |
| 7. | Flat Bay | Closed by EnvCon | |
| 8. | Morris Brook | Morris Brook | Closed by EnvCon Noted as "gone" by TC |
| 9. | Codroy Branch North | Codroy Branch North | Closed by EnvCon TC concerns on pipes and abutment; opened by EnvCon |
| 10. | Codroy Branch South | Opened by EnvCon | |
| 11. | Little River | Opened by EnvCon | |
| 12. | Bear Cove (Old Bridge) | Opened by EnvCon | |
| 13. | Robaires River East | Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08 Opened by EnvCon, 20 Feb 08 | |
| 14. | Howley River | Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08 Opened by EnvCon, 20 Feb 08 | |
| 15. | Mary Ann Brook | Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08 Opened by EnvCon, 22 Feb 08 | |
| 16. | North Brook | Opened by EnvCon | |
| 17. | Robinson Brook East | Opened by EnvCon | |
| 18. | Main East | Opened by EnvCon | |
| 19. | Journis Brook | Opened by EnvCon | |
| 20. | Eel Brook - | TC- deck gone Opened by EnvCon | |
| 21. | Wolfe Brook – | TC- abutments Opened by EnvCon | |
| 22. | Black Duck Brook | Closed by EnvCon, 19 Feb 08 | |
| 23. | Seal Cove-Indian Pond | Demolished by EnvCon following contact by TC, based on public complaint, summer 2007 | |
| 24. | Stephenville Main Gut | Closed by provincial government, November 2006 |
The provincial government has not provided a clear reconciliation between the two and the series of releases this week have been confusing. For example, the list of closed bridges issued on 22 February lists closed bridges in two different places. Some bridges have been announced as closed by engineering inspection only to have the same bridges cleared and re-opened a day or two later by a "further assessment".
No explanation has been offered by the provincial government of the changes in engineering assessment of some structures over the space of one or two days.
At the same time, Transport Canada's list erroneously refers to Monis Brook, when it is actually Morris Brook. TC's list also refers to Robinsons River East and Robinsons Brook East.
The provincial environment department still has to respond to Transport Canada's letter of 11 February which requested an action plan to deal with the 18 bridges it identified as being hazardous. A Transport Canada spokesman told CBC Radio on Thursday that for some structures a signed clearance by a structural engineer will be required to clear the bridge under the Navigable Waters Protection Act.
-srbp-
