Construction crews are on site and work is underway on the new Walterdale Bridge in downtown Edmonton.
The bridge is an essential piece of infrastructure across the North Saskatchewan River Valley that will serve as both a signature gateway to downtown and an Edmonton icon. It will cost $155 million.
“The existing Walterdale Bridge has served Edmonton well for a century, but it has reached the end of its service life and must be replaced,” said Roads Design and Construction General Supervisor Allan Bartman. “We are very excited to culminate several years of preparation and start building the new signature bridge that will serve Edmontonians for generations.”
Following rigorous rehabilitation work in the early 2000s and extensive public consultation, City Council decided to replace the existing steel truss bridge with a signature arch structure, according to the concept plan approved in April 2011.
Construction has begun and is scheduled to continue until late 2015. Pre-construction work, including tree removal and construction of access roads and berms necessary for in-river work, began in January 2013. Crews are now preparing lay-down areas on both the north and south sides of the river; arches will be constructed on the south side of the river and then erected next year.
2013 bridge work includes excavating and building thrust blocks, which are large underground anchor blocks needed to support the bridge arches. The south side of the river will also be re-graded to accommodate future realignment of Queen Elizabeth Park Road.
Although the existing bridge will remain in service until the new bridge opens in 2016, the project will have considerable traffic impacts throughout construction.
“The Walterdale Bridge will remain open to traffic throughout construction,” said Bartman. “However, the areas surrounding the bridge will be construction zones for the better part of the next three years. Motorists should expect delays or take other routes to get across the river, especially during summer months.”
For the duration of the project motorists are advised to detour on the Low Level Bridge via 99 Street/Scona Road/Connors Road or the James MacDonald Bridge via 98 Avenue. Westbound closures for slope stabilization unrelated to the project are already in effect on Saskatchewan Drive, with one eastbound lane open for traffic. ETS Route 52 will detour via Scona Road and James MacDonald Bridge during construction.
Queen Elizabeth Park Road will be completely closed for road realignment from July 15 until November 2013. Motorists are requested to detour using 99 Street/Scona Road or Walterdale Hill Road, which will remain open during the 2013 construction season.
Multi-use trails affected by construction on both sides of the river remain closed and detours are in effect for the remainder of the project. The Fort Edmonton Cemetery and Traditional Burial Ground remains open to the public and the interpretive belvedere will be relocated nearby. Citizens are reminded that construction site fencing is in place to protect public and worker safety.
The City awarded the Walterdale Bridge construction contract to Acciona/Pacer Joint Venture in May 2013. To learn more about the Walterdale Bridge project and watch an animation of the future bridge please visit www.edmonton.ca/walterdalebridge.
The bridge is an essential piece of infrastructure across the North Saskatchewan River Valley that will serve as both a signature gateway to downtown and an Edmonton icon. It will cost $155 million.
“The existing Walterdale Bridge has served Edmonton well for a century, but it has reached the end of its service life and must be replaced,” said Roads Design and Construction General Supervisor Allan Bartman. “We are very excited to culminate several years of preparation and start building the new signature bridge that will serve Edmontonians for generations.”
Following rigorous rehabilitation work in the early 2000s and extensive public consultation, City Council decided to replace the existing steel truss bridge with a signature arch structure, according to the concept plan approved in April 2011.
Construction has begun and is scheduled to continue until late 2015. Pre-construction work, including tree removal and construction of access roads and berms necessary for in-river work, began in January 2013. Crews are now preparing lay-down areas on both the north and south sides of the river; arches will be constructed on the south side of the river and then erected next year.
2013 bridge work includes excavating and building thrust blocks, which are large underground anchor blocks needed to support the bridge arches. The south side of the river will also be re-graded to accommodate future realignment of Queen Elizabeth Park Road.
Although the existing bridge will remain in service until the new bridge opens in 2016, the project will have considerable traffic impacts throughout construction.
“The Walterdale Bridge will remain open to traffic throughout construction,” said Bartman. “However, the areas surrounding the bridge will be construction zones for the better part of the next three years. Motorists should expect delays or take other routes to get across the river, especially during summer months.”
For the duration of the project motorists are advised to detour on the Low Level Bridge via 99 Street/Scona Road/Connors Road or the James MacDonald Bridge via 98 Avenue. Westbound closures for slope stabilization unrelated to the project are already in effect on Saskatchewan Drive, with one eastbound lane open for traffic. ETS Route 52 will detour via Scona Road and James MacDonald Bridge during construction.
Queen Elizabeth Park Road will be completely closed for road realignment from July 15 until November 2013. Motorists are requested to detour using 99 Street/Scona Road or Walterdale Hill Road, which will remain open during the 2013 construction season.
Multi-use trails affected by construction on both sides of the river remain closed and detours are in effect for the remainder of the project. The Fort Edmonton Cemetery and Traditional Burial Ground remains open to the public and the interpretive belvedere will be relocated nearby. Citizens are reminded that construction site fencing is in place to protect public and worker safety.
The City awarded the Walterdale Bridge construction contract to Acciona/Pacer Joint Venture in May 2013. To learn more about the Walterdale Bridge project and watch an animation of the future bridge please visit www.edmonton.ca/walterdalebridge.
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