World News
Pier repair forces city to extend Low Level Bridge lane closure into March
One of two northbound lanes on the Low Level Bridge will remain closed into March as work continues to repair a crack in a supporting pier, the city said Friday.Repairing a crack in a pier under Edmonton’s Low Level Bridge will continue until March, the city said Friday. (Scott Neufeld/CBC)Motorists and other commuters trying to…
One of two northbound lanes on the Low Level Bridge will remain closed into March as work continues to repair a crack in a supporting pier, the city said Friday.
Motorists and other commuters trying to get into downtown Edmonton using the Low Level Bridge can expect another month of delays.
One of two northbound lanes on the bridge will remain closed into March as work continues to repair a crack in a supporting pier, the city said Friday.
The inside northbound lane, closed to traffic since early January, will remain closed until repairs are completed, the City of Edmonton said in a public service announcement.
Both lanes are expected to be open sometime in March, the city said.
The unscheduled work began after a crack was discovered in the north pier of the bridge during a condition assessment.
The first phase of construction began while planning for the final repair design was underway, the city said. The work schedule was adjusted to include extra time as the design was finalized.
An article posted to the city's transforming.edmonton/ca website on Friday says crews braced the pier and reinforced the bridge structure in January “to prevent any further cracking.”
Construction on pause until next week
The first phase of construction is now complete. The contractor has ordered materials for the second phase, which will begin Feb. 11 when materials arrive, the city said.
There's currently a pause on construction but the inside northbound lane will remain closed “to reduce the weight going across the bridge and maintain the worksite,” the city said.
The second phase of construction will include “a temporary brace and fixture” that will remain until the Low Level Bridge renewal project happens, the transforming.edmonton/ca article said. The renewal project is anticipated for 2023.
Commuters are advised to take an alternate route. The closure has slowed traffic on the approach to the bridge as vehicles must merge from two lanes into one.
Transit users can expect delays on all bus routes that travel north across the bridge, the city said. Affected routes include the 7, 8, 15, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 68, 81, 82, 85, 87, 90 and 112.
Pedestrian and cyclist access is open but cyclists are asked to walk their bikes across the bridge due to the placement of construction materials extending into the path.
The Low Level Bridge is made up of two structures. The northbound bridge, originally built for rail traffic, was constructed in 1900. The southbound bridge was added in 1949.
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