The Red Bridge wreckage and cleanup site is scene in this undated aerial photo.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Tk'emlups te Secwepemc

It will be months before the South Thompson River shoreline is cleared of what's left of the Red Bridge destroyed by fire last month.

Both remaining spans of the bridge that once connected Tk'emlups to Kamloops will eventually be removed, but it's not clear exactly how long that might take. The removal and river cleanup is expected to continue "through the winter," according to a City of Kamloops news release issued, Oct. 8.

Since the Sept. 19 fire that destroyed the centre three spans of the 88-year-old wooden bridge, work crews have been cleaning up debris in Pioneer Park.

Train activity below the bridge has been allowed to continue. CN Rail inspected the tracks after the fire and found it safe to resume train activity.

The City mentions no change to rail traffic in its release, but the provincial transportation ministry has decided the remaining bridge spans are not safe to keep in place and must be removed.

On Tuesday, the City reopened the Riverside Park beach and Waterfront Park, which connects Riverside to Pioneer. Pedestrian access will be blocked before reaching the bridge span that remains, while boat access immediately near the bridge is also closed. The City said residents should expect intermittent closures on the Rivers Trail while work continues.

READ MORE: No suspects yet in Kamloops Red Bridge arson investigation

Pioneer Park, a popular off-leash dog park, remains closed while it's used as a staging area for the federal, provincial, First Nations and municipal crews at the cleanup site, along with multiple pieces of heavy equipment.

iNFOnews.ca has reached out to City and Ministry of Transportation for more specific timelines on the disassembly and cleanup.

While the Transportation Ministry leads the cleanup operations, the Ministry of Environment monitors for impacts on the water and the concurrent salmon return.

Days after the fire, police confirmed it was being investigated as arson.

The fire had followed another that burned bridge supports on the Tk'emlups side, but it's still not clear whether the two are related. Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley has most recently said the investigation is a top priority at the detachment, but there were no suspects so far.

The bridge was narrow and difficult to navigate, it was in near-constant need for repair on its driving lanes and commercial drivers have regularly been seen taking trucks across that were too heavy for it. Despite it's challenges, it was also a useful connection between the two communities, both for drivers and pedestrians. If rebuilt again, it would be the fourth bridge at that crossing since 1887.

READ MORE: Kamloops mayor missed more closed meetings than rest of council combined

Tk'emlups Band members held a ceremony in the days after the fire and there were "a lot of heavy feelings" after its collapse, according to a Tk'emlups update written by Tkwenem7iple7 (Tk'emlups councillor) Nikki Fraser. Its main contemporary use was for economic connection between the Mount Paul Industrial Park and downtown Kamloops, but it's tied to a racist history.

"This bridge had a lot of historical significance to our people," her update posted to social media read. "There was a time when our people needed written permission to leave the reserve, and the Red Bridge was the connection our ancestors used to cross with written permission from an Indian Agent."

The Band's archaeology team recorded one artifact on the beach just following the fire and after equipment matting was laid down, Fraser said. They will be on site as the remaining bridge parts are removed.

“As we continue to navigate the significant loss of the Red Bridge we will be guided by Ckultn te Secwépemc (our ways of knowing as Shuswap)," Tkwenem7iple7 Joshua Gottfriedsen said in a news release. "We are committed to completing this work for our community and our future generations through our Secwépemc laws, self-sustainability through the Scwenwen Economic Development Corporation, and our Archaeology and Natural Resources teams who will all play a key role in ensuring the land is well taken care of."

Without it, Tk'emlups is advancing conversations with CN due to safety concerns with an increase in pedestrian traffic across the CN bridge nearer to Riverside Park, which connects to the Band just beside the Thompson River confluence, according to the band. Theyares also working to speed up a BC Transit expansion of the Mount Paul bus route.

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