RC117 MarApr 2025 - Magazine - Page 24
TRANSPORTATION
THE FIRST
12 HOURS
The right response to
transportation crises can limit
their overall impact by Matthew Bowser
HEN DISASTER STRIKES, and the call comes in, are
you ready for what comes next? Do you know
what gear to grab, what tech to take, what tests
to run? Can you assess the situation calmly and
e昀케ciently? Do you know what team members
can provide the appropriate background and
analysis that will allow you to make the right decisions?
Every disaster, natural or man-made, comes with its
own set of unique circumstances. Being prepared for those
scenarios is crucial. People are counting on you. The clock
is ticking. When that phone does ring, and you jump to
your feet, you need to be ready for what comes next.
W
Matthew Bowser
is a Senior Manager,
Bridges, BC/Yukon, at
WSP in Canada.
24
August 26, 2022
It was 6:30 on a Friday morning, and I was getting ready
to wrap up the work week. My phone never rings at that
time, so I knew it had to be important. It was.
A transport tanker had been travelling on the Alaska
Highway, in northern B.C. and had made contact with
the eastern approach barrier of the Sikanni Chief River
Bridge, approximately 175 kilometres north of Fort St.
John, which is a portion of the highway that is maintained
and operated by Public Services and Procurement Canada
(PSPC).
The truck was carrying a load of Condensate, Sweet—
PG II, a 昀氀ammable liquid, a portion of which then spilled
onto the bridge deck and caught on 昀椀re. The bridge’s
drainage system allowed for the condensate to seep down
to the underside of the structure, thus spreading the 昀椀re to
the girders below.
After hanging up the phone having agreed to attend
the site, I immediately contacted members of our team
that had experience with 昀椀re damage to concrete bridge
structures. Their input would be vital for the inspection
of the structure, helping to appreciate speci昀椀c impacts to
look for based on the nature of the blaze.
An hour after the call came in, I was on my 昀椀rst plane
heading north. Last second 昀氀ights to smaller communities
from Vancouver Island aren’t easy to come by, so I had to
RENEW CANADA – MARCH/APRIL 2025
make whatever plans necessary to get me to Fort St. John
as soon as I could. The second 昀氀ight, which would get
me to Fort St. John, boarded at 8:35 am, and two hours
later I was picking up a rental truck equipped with the
appropriate safety gear.
By the time I arrived at the scene, the 昀椀re had been
put out, but the heat from the place was still very
noticeable. Blackened surfaces were evident through basic
observation, but only a closer inspection would reveal
any real damage that had been caused. The site was still
being openly investigated, so I had to wait for clearance
from local law enforcement before being allowed on the
bridge. At 1:56 pm, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
