Marginal note:Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Bridges Act.

Marginal note:Definitions

2. In this Act,

“bridge”

« pont »

“bridge” means every bridge to which this Act applies;

“company”

« compagnie »

“company” means any company incorporated under the authority or within the jurisdiction of Parliament, not being a railway company or otherwise subject to the control of the Minister;

“Minister”

« ministre »

“Minister” means the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Marginal note:Application of Act

3. This Act applies to every bridge and the approaches thereto, and the appliances or works appurtenant thereto, built or constructed by any company.

Marginal note:Notice

4. No bridge shall be opened for public use

• (a) until one month after notice in writing of intention to open the bridge has been given to the Minister by the company to whom the bridge belongs; or

• (b) until ten days after notice in writing has been given by the company to the Minister of the time when the bridge will, in the opinion of the company, be sufficiently completed for inspection and use with safety.

Marginal note:Proceedings on receipt of notice

• 5. (1) The Minister, on receiving a notice under section 4, shall direct an engineer attached to or employed by the Department of Public Works and Government Services to examine the bridge proposed to be opened and report to the Minister, in writing, his opinion as to the completeness and sufficiency of the bridge, with the grounds for that opinion.

• Marginal note:Postponement if the bridge is reported unsafe

  (2) Where the engineer reports pursuant to subsection (1) that, in his opinion, the bridge would, by reason of incompleteness or insufficiency, be dangerous to the public using it, the Minister, with the approval of the Governor in Council, may order the company to whom the bridge belongs to postpone the opening for a period not exceeding one month.

• Marginal note:Further inspection

  (3) The Minister may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, from time to time thereafter, on further inspection of the bridge by an engineer directed under subsection (1) after the ten days notice given under paragraph 4(b), and on a report from the engineer as to the incompleteness or insufficiency of the bridge, make a like order for postponement of the opening of the bridge until it appears to the Minister that the opening of the bridge may take place without danger to the public.