It's called the Nuthouse Road, and if you're brave enough to haul grain across the bridge over the Shell River, you might just be a little nuts, too.
"The bridge is in good enough condition, except it was put there for horses," explained Robert Strube, reeve of the RM of Shellbrook, of the 14-foot-wide, one-lane bridge northeast of Shellbrook that was built in the 1930's.
"We've got super B's going over that bridge who probably shouldn't be."
With the provincial and federal governments chipping in a combined $275,000 and $225,000 from the RM, that bridge is set to be replaced this year - assuming they can get all the necessary approvals in time.
The federal and provincial governments announced their contributions to the project, one of the last new projects in the area to be covered by economic stimulus funds, Monday afternoon in Shellbrook Town Hall.
The new bridge will be two lanes wide and built over four culverts, two 12 feet in diameter and another two that are 11 feet in diameter, with earth put over top.
The project has to be finished by March 2011 or some funds will be held back, but that's a difficulty as the bridge still hasn't been approved under the Navigable Waters Protection Program.
If approval doesn't come this week, then the contractors can't order the culverts, and that work has to be finished before spring thaw. If it isn't, that could push the project past the deadline.
"We're just trying to get the bureaucracy moving, though not to cut any corners," said Randy Hoback, MP for Prince Albert.
The new bridge will officially open the route up to farmers hauling grain to the nearby White Star grain elevator. Right now, they usually have to use major highways, adding time to the trip.
Hoback will make another funding announcement today for stimulus funds, but after that he doesn't expect any new projects to be announced in Prince Albert.
He said the government has a tough job ahead of it in balancing the budget, meaning much more scrutiny of spending.
"We won't experience what we've experienced this last year, that's just not possible," he said, adding he expects to return to a balanced budget in a number of years, but not through tax cuts or program cuts.
"We'll be looking for efficiencies, delivering the same services in a more efficient way. We really don't want to raise taxes, that's not in our vocabulary."
