The historic 12 Street Zoo Bridge, which was scheduled for removal last week, won’t be moved until Monday, the City of Calgary said Saturday.
The bridge, which was built in 1908, spans the Bow River on the south side of St. George’s Island.
The city initially said the bridge could be moved anywhere between Wednesday and Friday. Adverse weather conditions pushed the removal until Friday, however, by about 5 p.m. that day, the city said the bridge wouldn’t be going anywhere.
It was anticipated crews may try to remove it Saturday, but the city issued a release Saturday morning saying the work was rescheduled to Monday, weather permitting. Low winds are required for crews to remove the old bridge.
The city cited issues with the estimated weight of the bridge for Friday’s delay.
“Computer models calculated an estimated weight of the bridge. When it came time for the lift yesterday, the bridge weighed more than the estimates originally predicted,” city spokesperson Sean Somers said in a release.
“The combination of gusting winds and the additional weight of the bridge as a factor, the decision was made to postpone the lift.”
Parts of the bridge will be removed over the weekend to make it lighter, with the aim of lifting it on Monday.
Once it’s removed, the 12 Street Bridge will be placed on the riverbank on Georges Island and taken apart. At least part of the bridge will be saved.
Original plans were to have the 12 Street Bridge stay in place until its replacement was finished in 2018, however, an engineering firm inspected it in 2016 and found the old bridge was deteriorating faster than originally thought.
The new 12 Street Bridge, which will have two traffic lanes and also accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, is scheduled to be finished next winter.
The city also plans to replace the 9 Avenue SE Bridge, which work is set to begin in 2018.
— With files from Melissa Gilligan
Comments