University Bridge repairs ahead of schedule

A 'Road Closed' sign sits along Saskatchewan Crescent East, near the top of the University Bridge. The bridge is closed until the end of August.

Construction on the University Bridge is ahead of schedule.

Crews are finishing repairs on the south side of the bridge and plan to start work on the north side this weekend.

“To this point we have encountered no major surprises and we’ve had great weather, which has kept the work moving along nicely,” says Rob Frank, the city’s asset preservation manager.

The contractor is more than a week ahead of schedule, according to the city. Work is close to halfway done.

Pedestrian traffic, which has been using the north-side walkway since the bridge closed May 3, will be moved to the south side sometime over the next few weeks after crews install hand rails.

The city says, despite the progress, it’s not making any promises that work will be done before the scheduled Sept. 1 completion date.

“Rain or unforeseen issues can still set us back,” Frank says.

Since construction started, traffic is up seven per cent on the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge and up 15 per cent on the Circle Drive north bridge.

No stats were available for the Broadway Bridge, but the city says the bridge is close to capacity.