City of Edmonton officials said Thursday that girders damaged in mid-March during installation on the 102 Avenue Bridge over Groat Road would have to be removed from the structure for repair or replacement.
Officials said three girders that bent during installation on March 16 would have to be removed from the bridge for analysis that’s expected to take months.
“Based on all the analysis the contractor has determined the best course forward is to remove girders 4, 5 and 6,” Byron Nicholson with the City of Edmonton said.
As a result, Groat Road will be shut down over the following two weekends for crews to remove the steel, including the seventh girder – that one was not damaged, but needs to be removed for crews to access the other three.
The first closure will start Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. Groat Road will be closed between 107 Avenue and River Valley Road. Crews are expected to remove the first two girders on this weekend. Groat Road will reopen at 6 a.m. Monday, May 4.
The second closure is expected to start at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 8, and crews are expected to remove the remaining two girders. The road is scheduled to reopen at 6 a.m. Monday, May 11.
The steel will be shipped to a local company for assessment.
During the closures, parking will be banned along the east side of 116 Street between 100 Avenue and Jasper Avenue. During the second ban, parking on 109 Street between 99 Avenue and 102 Avenue will also be banned.
There will be no access to the multi-use path adjacent to Groat Road during the closures.
It’s hoped the girders can be repaired, but officials said even engineers determine they can be, it’s unlikely the project will meet its completion date in October.
City officials said it’s likely the bridge won’t be finished until the summer of 2016, at the earliest.
With files from Ashley Molnar
