Highway 66 bridge reopens following repairs to floodwater damage

Highway 66 after the Elbow River washed out the bridge (photo courtesy: Alberta Transportation)

Six months after the flooding of the Elbow River washed away a significant section of the Highway 66 bridge deck and supports, Alberta Transportation is set to reopen the bridge to traffic.

“Opening this bridge is one more example of our government’s commitment to help Albertans recover from this summer’s devastating floods,” said Wayne Drysdale, Alberta’s Minister of Transportation. “Our teams worked hard and smart to streamline permitting and identify efficiencies.”

While the bridge, which is situated southwest of the hamlet of Bragg Creek and between the McLean Creek Trail and Allen Bill Pond, was under repair, a temporary single lane crossing, with alternating right of way, was erected.

Repairs to the bridge cost an estimated $4 million and required more than 7,000 worker hours. The project used 12,000 cubic metres of rock backfill, 2,965 cubic metres of boulders and 306 cubic metres of concrete to stabilize the bridge and prevent future erosion.

The bridge will open with a wooden deck. Plans to pour a concrete deck are scheduled for the spring of 2014.