Major repairs under the Whoop-Up Drive bridge will begin next week, after months of planning and preparation.
On Aug. 6, a flatbed trailer carrying heavy equipment hit the bottom of the bridge, damaging four of six steel girders.
According to the City of Lethbridge, two were badly damaged. “The repairs required extensive planning and coordination.”
“This repair has demanded a high level of coordination and expertise,” says Joel Sanchez, director of Infrastructure Services. “We’ve planned every step – from getting the right materials to hiring trained contractors – to make sure the job is done right the first time.”
The City notes the repairs involve minor traffic impacts, and all speed limits implemented Oct. 10 will remain unchanged for the duration of this work. “The weight reduction also remains in place for westbound traffic.”
The repairs will follow this schedule, weather permitting:
- Nov. 10: Erect shoring towers under the bridge. Botterill Bottom Road South will be closed to the public for the duration of all repairs.
- Nov. 12-18: Repair girder three (under lane three). Current traffic measures remain in place.
- Nov. 20-27: Repair girder two. Lane two will close and lane three will reopen. This maintains two westbound lanes. When this repair is complete, all three westbound lanes are open.
- Nov. 28-Dec. 10: Repair girder four. Lane four remains closed. When this repair is complete, all three eastbound lanes are open.
- Dec. 10-12: Repair girder one. No lane closures are required for this repair.
Work is scheduled on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Based on this schedule, all repairs are expected to be completed by Dec. 12.
Some of the challenges faced in managing this repair include:
- Limited number of contractors in Canada qualified to perform this work
- Many required materials are not readily available
- Multiple contractors are working together to complete the repair
- The project required pre-qualification and the workers received specialized training and certification
- Electrical wires and conduits run under girder four, requiring additional planning and training
- Crews performed some pre-fabrication work off-site and have already completed mock repairs to ensure they make the final fix correctly and safely the first time
Sanchez adds this project has always prioritized public safety and asset integrity over speed of repairs. “We have done our best to move the project forward as quickly as possible, while maintaining the best and safest traffic flow across the bridge.”
“This job couldn’t be rushed. It’s been a challenging process,” Sanchez explains. “The final repair schedule is designed to keep traffic moving, as much as possible.”
According to Sanchez, some of the repairs vary depending on the damage done to the girders. “Some of them include placing a structure to support the cracks and the damage that were under the bridge. The reason why this took a little bit longer is because we need to ensure the repairs are done in a way that will also maintain the integrity of the bridge moving forward.”
As for the final cost of the project, Sanchez says the City needs to wait until the work is done. “There might be some different elements that need to be added, so that information will be available after the repair has fully been completed.”
The City is also working with its legal department and insurance companies in order to define how the cost associated with the repair is going to translate, Sanchez notes. “Our intention is this should not affect taxation.”
