Счетный комитатор П.Э.И. выявил системные пробелы в инспекции и ремонте мостов

P.E.I. bridges aren’t always inspected or repaired on time, auditor general finds New audit finds gaps in how province tracks inspections, follows up on repairs and ensures work is completed P.E.I.’s auditor general says shortcomings in the province’s bridge inspection system are undermining how the government plans and tracks maintenance on key infrastructure — though he says there’s no reason for Islanders to be worried about the safety of the province’s bridges. In his latest report, Auditor General Darren Noonan examined how the province manages more than 1,500 bridges, road culverts and retaining walls through its Bridge Inspection Program. His office looked at how the province’s internal system classifies bridges and follows up on work identified by inspectors. “The two big takeaways for me were the management system that the province uses doesn’t necessarily have the bridges categorized properly, whether it's a major or a minor structure," he told Island Morning host Wayne Thibodeau on Friday. "The second thing that jumped out to us was that the management system that they use doesn’t really identify when a maintenance or repair has been completed." - Lane closures coming to Hillsborough Bridge as repairs begin in May - RCMP flags people getting out of their cars on Confederation Bridge could add to roadwork delays Under the program, major bridges are supposed to be inspected every two years, while minor structures are inspected every six years. Noonan said if bridges are misclassified, they may not be inspected within those required timelines. He also highlighted a lack of tracking around follow-up work. “It doesn’t identify or track outstanding repairs, so we thought that was a major flaw in the system.” he said. “We think they should be able to identify at any point in time what work has been done and what work is still needed.” The audit found that for a sample of major bridges, only seven out of 30 identified maintenance needs had been completed. Just two of those were finished within the one-year time frame recommended by inspectors. The report also found the province lacks basic information about some structures. For example, the age of 19 per cent of bridges is unknown. “Because when they started to use the system, when they put the bridge inspection process in place, they didn't have the data to know how old bridge structures were,” Noonan said. This is not the first time the auditor general has raised concerns about the province’s bridge inspection system. Similar issues were identified in a 2011 audit. Noonan said his office now has “a much more rigorous” follow-up process, starting one year after a report and continuing for up to four years, with the goal that all recommendations are implemented by then. Province says bridges remain in good condition In a statement to CBC News, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the safety of Islanders is its top priority. "These structures are inspected regularly, and the network overall remains in good condition,” the department said. "Since tracking of larger bridge structures began in 2007, bridge conditions have continued to improve, and the number of high-risk structures has declined. When a bridge is identified as posing a risk to motorists, restrictions are put in place, or the structure is closed until repairs or replacement can occur.” The statement acknowledged the auditor general’s findings, saying the audit identified opportunities to improve documentation, inspection management and reporting practices. “We welcome the auditor general’s recommendations and have already begun implementing measures to enhance our processes. Our focus remains on maintaining a safe and reliable transportation network for Islanders.” Audit did not find evidence of unsafe bridges Despite the gaps, Noonan stressed that his office did not find evidence that the province’s bridges are unsafe or that Islanders are being put at risk. “We didn’t identify anything in our work to cause that concern, or we would have highlighted it a bit more in the report,” he said. “I don’t want people out there thinking that the bridges are going to collapse. It’s just [that] the province has a bridge inspection program, and there’s some weaknesses in that program that need to be improved upon.” Noonan said recommendations from certified external inspectors should carry significant weight. “If those inspectors identify repairs that are needed, then they should be done,” he said. He added that the goal of the audit is not simply to push the province to spend more money, but to ensure it has the tools to identify which repairs are the highest priority and track whether they are completed. “Part of my role is to keep government accountable and make sure they're spending their money wisely,” he said. With files from Island Morning