CALEDONIA, B.C. — Logging traffic is increasing on the Cunningham Forest Service Road since beetle-infested wood is being harvested and a new bridge is being built to help cope with the traffic.

A double-land bridge over Sowchea Creek has been approved, as the existing one-lane bridge isn’t able to deal with the increased forestry traffic in both directions.

Forestry officials met with the public July 17, to discuss the possibility of a new bridge, that would be expected to handle more than 400 truck passes this winter and see 530,000 cubic metres of beetle-infested wood travel over it over the next three to five years.

Although it is currently provincial policy to have one-lane bridges on forest service roads, an exception was made for this situation as residents have safety concerns due to the increased traffic and location of the bridge.

At the meeting, residents also voiced their concerns about the condition of the road itself, which they say is also unprepared for the increase in logging trucks.