Present Day Highway 103 Photographs
Left - In the mid-1950s, the Department of Highways embarked on an ambitious project to link Hwy 103 at Port Severn to MacTier. The route of Hwy 103 (later known as Hwy 69) was diverted around the proposed site of a bridge across the Moon River. The soil conditions at the bridge site were not adequately tested during the highway's design phase, reportedly as a result of an engineering oversight. Contracts were tendered and construction of the new highway began. When the results of the soil tests became available, engineers learned that the proposed bridge would have to be moved due to unfavourable soil conditions at the initial bridge site. As a result, a considerable portion of the planned highway was rendered useless. This aborted Hwy 103 alignment south of Moon River is now a Jeep trail.
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The construction of Hwy 103 progressed to the point that culverts had been constructed underneath the proposed highway. Had the soil tests been carried out early in the design phase, construction would not have proceeded. An abandoned concrete culvert (centre of photo) is visible from the current highway.
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Another view of the aborted alignment south of the cancelled Moon River Bridge on Hwy 103. Note the disused concrete culvert to the right of the hydro pole.
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Several rock cuts were blasted, and the grading was practically completed before the oversight was discovered. This is a small rock cut on the aborted Hwy 103 alignment north of Moon River.
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - A large rock cut on the aborted Hwy 103 alignment. Note the height of the truck for scale. The soil conditions at the Moon River Bridge site resulted in the relocation of almost 2 km of the proposed highway.
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Grading was halted after the proposed bridge at Moon River was cancelled due to unfavourable soil conditions. What makes this situation so unique is that the highway approaches were almost complete when engineers decided to relocate the bridge site. While the exact sequence of these events will never be known for sure, it can be said with great certainty that the Department of Highways would not have allowed construction to proceed if the soil tests were in fact carried out properly. By the time the results of the soil condition tests were known, it was too late to salvage the planned highway. This unfortunate oversight likely cost the Department of Highways millions of dollars to rectify.
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - View of aborted Hwy 103 alignment immediately north of the proposed Moon River Bridge
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - North end of aborted Hwy 103 alignment at Moon River. The actual Hwy 103 (later known as Hwy 69) is seen in the background.
(Photograph taken in September 2002 - © Cameron Bevers)
