Watch above: Saskatoon’s growing population has city officials looking ahead to traffic needs. Wendy Winiewski says the 33rd street corridor, which includes a bridge over the South Saskatchewan, is causing concern among residents in the affected areas.
SASKATOON – As the city prepares for a population of half-a-million people, there’s a plan unfolding to build a new bridge at 33rd Street. It will connect on the east side on land currently owned by the University of Saskatchewan and will continue east, intersecting Preston Avenue.
Residents first had an opportunity to discuss the new bridge with city administration in March at a meeting on various future plans. The bridge quickly became the most controversial. An additional meeting is scheduled for June 17 at North Park Wilson School between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. to address concerns.
“It’s going to have a profound effect on North Park and City Park but the whole city of course is going to be impacted,” said Janet McVettie. She is attending the meeting Wednesday evening.
She is concerned “33rd will become really busy and Spadina will also become really busy.” McVettie also feels this is another step which would keep Saskatoon as a vehicle reliant city.
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City councillor for the area, Darren Hill, has taken dozens of phone calls about the proposed bridge. All but two people called to oppose the idea.
“33rd Street was not designed for that volume of traffic that a bridge would introduce,” said Hill. He refers to the crossing as the “over my dead body bridge.”
“This doesn’t need to happen at all,” said Hill who added “We should be focusing more on the rebuilding of our transit system.”
But according to city staff proposing the idea, this bridge will assist in a big picture plan to create a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) with lanes, specifically for buses.
Manager of planning and development, Alan Wallace, said the BRT plan will decrease capacity elsewhere. “It looks like the University Bridge will have some dedicated lanes on it so replacing that capacity somewhere else is what’s going to be required as we grow to 500,000.”
According to Wallace, this is the main reason another crossing is warranted.
The bridge is expected to be built within the next 20 years.
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