Audit finds flaws in P.E.I. government’s bridge inspection programs

An audit completed by the office of auditor general Darren Noonan has found flaws in P.E.I.’s bridge inspection regime. PHOTO BY STU NEATBY /The Guardian An audit has found shortcomings in the province’s inspection regime for bridges across P.E.I. The examination, undertaken by the Office of the Auditor General, found the province’s tracking of information about the state of bridges across P.E.I. to be lacking, sometimes resulting in a lack of information on file about the condition of these bridges. The audit also found inspections were not always completed within the required timeframe with some having never been inspected at all. Work and maintenance that was identified as being needed on these bridges was often not completed within the recommended timeframe. The audit found the province does have a bridge inspection program which was based on best practices. The audit also did not make any overall conclusions about the state of bridges, culverts and retaining walls in P.E.I. The province’s bridge inspection program was the focus of the audit. The audit concluded that the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure “did not effectively manage some aspects of the bridge inspection program.” The audit warned that some of this ineffective management could increase safety risks for users and could increase costs for government. “Bridges are expensive public assets. It is important that the province has a strong bridge inspection program that supports the planning and priorities of bridge repairs and replacements,” read the audit. “Delaying required maintenance work could result in more expensive repair costs in the future.” In an interview, auditor general Darren Noonan said effective bridge inspection could mean fewer inconveniences for Island taxpayers. “Bridges link communities together. So, if a bridge happens to go down for whatever reason, then that kind of cuts off a link for those communities,” Noonan said. Read More Audit finds $69 million in cost overruns by P.E.I. capital projects completed since 2020 Auditor general warns P.E.I.'s debt could double by 2031 if capital spending not reined in Tracking system The audit found several issues with the province’s data management and tracking of the 1,508 bridge, culvert and retaining wall structures in the province. In the province’s bridge management system, 19 per cent of bridges – or 280 – did not have an age listed. Four per cent lacked the date of the last time the bridge was…