The Yukon government has withdrawn a proposal to demolish the Ross River suspension bridge.
The plan was submitted to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board last week.
Last month, an engineering report found that the 70-year-old walkway over the Pelly River was at risk of imminent collapse, and must be torn down.
Others, however, have suggested that repairing the bridge is possible and should be done to save the historic structure.
The government has agreed to have a different engineering consultant review the findings and see if saving the bridge is possible.
Yesterday, the government wrote to the assessment board asking that the proposal to demolish the bridge be withdrawn.
“Department staff, concerned about the potential length of the YESAB process, did submit an application to YESAB because winter is the best time to take the bridge down, if indeed that is the option that needs to be done,” said Community Services Minister Brad Cathers in the legislature Tuesday. “However, it is premature to seek public views on such an application when neither the public, nor the government have received (the engineer’s) recommendations, so the YESAB application has been withdrawn.”