High Level Bridge closes to traffic next year for full construction season
The city says the bridge remains safe to use, and the work is being combined into one year instead of two.
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The High Level Bridge will be closed to motor traffic next year for the full construction season, city officials announced Friday. The closure is for urgent repairs after severe summer storms, and it moves rehabilitation work originally planned for 2028 up to next year.
The city says heavy rainfall caused erosion on the south slope. Sara Nichols, the city's deputy manager of infrastructure, said the bridge remains safe to use and the city will keep inspecting and monitoring it. Combining the urgent repairs with the planned rehabilitation will reduce the total number of closures, she said.
The repairs include the bearings, deck surface, drainage systems and slope stabilization. Epcor is separately doing drainage work on the north side of the bridge. The west pedestrian walkway is expected to stay open where possible, and the summer trolley will continue running over the bridge.
To offset the closure, the northbound work on the Low Level Bridge has been postponed to 2028. Wellington Bridge is expected to open soon. The city is also exploring whether it can use the provincial Hazard Assistance and Resilience Program to cover some costs, but that funding is not yet secured.
The bridge was built in 1913 as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway network and transferred to the city in 1994. It carries at least 24,000 vehicles a day. The city plans to decommission it at the end of the next decade, after the Low Level Bridge has been replaced.
It also does not say what the postponement of the Low Level work will cost the city.
The facts
Why is the High Level Bridge closing to motor traffic?
The High Level Bridge is closing to motor traffic for the full construction season to make urgent repairs after severe summer storms. Heavy rainfall caused erosion on its south slope.
What repairs are planned for the High Level Bridge?
The High Level Bridge repairs include the bearings, deck surface, drainage systems and slope stabilization. Epcor is also doing separate drainage work on the north side of the bridge.
Who said the High Level Bridge is still safe to use?
Sara Nichols, the City of Edmonton's deputy manager of infrastructure, said the High Level Bridge remains safe to use. The city will keep inspecting and monitoring it.
How many vehicles cross the High Level Bridge each day?
The High Level Bridge carries at least 24,000 vehicles a day. It was built in 1913 and transferred to the
