The Lamprey Creek Bridge, along the Morice West Forest Service Road, was sabotaged late last week, according to RCMP.

Police officers discovered that the Lamprey Creek Bridge support beams had been cut and some bolts loosened. An engineer advised that the bridge was unsafe for all traffic, including foot traffic. The damage was evidence of a clear intention to cause the bridge to fail when vehicles travelled across, according to police. A criminal investigation is underway.

On Saturday, repairs to the Lamprey Creek Bridge were completed. The bridge was then examined to ensure it was again safe for travel.

Last week spikes were also strewn across the forest service road, flattening the tires of several RCMP vehicles.

The RCMP are continuing to enforce a Supreme Court injunction against anyone blockading Coastal GasLink’s access to the area south of Houston. Wet’suwet’en hereditary leadership and their supporters are opposing the construction of a pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory. The company is building a natural gas pipeline from Dawson Creek to Kitimat. Several people have been arrested and the RCMP have set up an ‘exclusion zone’ along the Morice West Forest Service Road.

Six people arrested on Thursday, February 6, were released from custody, without charges or conditions.

Four people arrested on Friday, February 7, and four people arrested Saturday February 8, have been transported to the Smithers RCMP Detachment in order to appear before the BC Supreme Court on Monday February 10. Six more people under arrest have yet to be transported. One person was released on conditions with a future court date. This person was transported to their personal vehicle at the 27 km mark of Morice West Forest Service Road that was previously designated as a protest and media site.

The senior commander continues to update the Hereditary Chiefs through the Office of the Wet’suwet’en and to offer facilitation of their access to the area and engagement with persons who remain there, say police.