Work started Monday to repair a road and culvert in northwest Edmonton after a series of storms caused them to collapse in June. The city announced it was taking over the project from Epcor last week after the culvert was classified as bridge-sized. A section of 137 Avenue and a nearby pedestrian bridge have been closed since June 22 after significant rainfall accelerated erosion there. The president of the Big Lake Community League said he is happy to see the work starting but is worried about the nine week timeline for repairs. “The construction season is so short now so I have a feeling it might not get completed this year,” Raf Tenderenda told CTV News Edmonton. Tenderenda said concerns about the undersized culvert at the creek were flagged to the city and Epcor three years ago. Epcor previously told CTV News a culvert improvement project scheduled in 2024 was paused because of future road projects in the area. “If they proactively did this, they could have done this in a safer, more time-efficient manner,” said Tenderenda. “It’s sad to see.” Construction impacts Tenderenda said the closure has added at least ten minutes to some residents’ commute and now over 7,000 vehicles a day have to go through an active construction zone. “They have to navigate through a whole neighbourhood, going 40 kilometres or less,” he said. “I feel like it’s going to be a big safety factor for school buses and parents dropping their kids off.” In a news release, the city states it is installing a new culvert, stabilizing the creek slopes, rebuilding the road and embankment and constructing a new shared pathway along the road. It also said final paving and landscaping may be deferred until next year, but this will not affect the road reopening. The city said residents can use 119 Street, 118A Avenue and Winterburn Road to access communities west of Horseshoe Creek. With files from Evan Kenny
