Determining the cause and contributing factors of the June 28 crash between a gravel barge and the New Westminster rail bridge could take upwards of a year, officials say.
According to Raymond Matthew, marine investigation manager with the Transportation Safety Board, the TSB has decided to conduct a full investigation, the results of which likely won't be ready until May of 2012.
"We're trying to see if we can confirm some more information. We are proceeding with the report. That's why there's a delay. It will be a while because TSB reports normally take a year to come out," Mathew said. "This report is not our only report. We have a lot in other areas."
Mathew said most of the information needed to the final report has been collected but TSB investigators are still working to confirm some things and analyze all the gathered information for the final report.
A previous Transport Canada investigation found Mercury Launch and Tug, the company that owned the barge shipping the gravel, was in compliance with transportation and safety regulations at the time of the accident.
The Fraser River was experiencing a higher than normal freshet and flow rate at the time, and the channel beyond the bridge around Poplar Island is known for being difficult to navigate at the best of times.
The crash happened on June 28 when a barge collided with the swing span bridge, damaging its protection pier and gear mechanism. Repairs resulted bridge owner Southern Railway of B.C. having to find alternate methods of serving its industrial customers on Annacis Island and boat traffic on the north arm of the Fraser River being diverted.
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