WATCH ABOVE: A day after four girders on the 102 Avenue bridge buckled, we still don’t know why. But, as Fletcher Kent reports, the fallout is becoming clearer.
EDMONTON — Drivers who normally use Groat Road will have to detour for another three weeks after four girders buckled during the 102 Avenue bridge construction on Monday.
On Tuesday, the City of Edmonton said in order to stabilize the girders, a much larger crane was brought in from outside Edmonton and was being assembled. The weight of the girders will be transferred to the crane so that workers can inspect the steel beams, and begin repairing or removing them.
“Public and worker safety remain our top priority,” said Barry Belcourt, Branch Manager of Roads Design and Construction.
“We will not re-open Groat Road or allow people to work on the bridge until the girders are stabilized.”
READ MORE: Twisted metal over Groat Road leads to indefinite closure
“Once the girders are safe and stable, we can begin repairing or removing the damaged pieces,” he added. “As soon as the bridge is re-stabilized, we will remove the crane and re-open Groat Road.”
The road was closed last weekend between 107 Avenue and River Valley Road because the steel girders for the new bridge being built over Groat were being lifted into place.
On Sunday, the city extended the closure to Tuesday morning due to troubles with the girder placement and because of the weather. Around 2:15 a.m. Monday, four of the 40-tonne girders buckled as much as a metre and a half while one of them was being installed.
Work was halted and several engineers were brought in to investigate. The city wasn’t able to identify a single factor that caused the girders to fail, and said it was looking into a number of potential causes, including wind, temperatures, the quality of steel and the way it was being installed.
READ MORE: Twisted metal over Groat Road leads to indefinite closure
On Monday Belcourt said the delay is likely to add to the project’s cost, which is pegged at $32 million.
However, he explained there are penalties in the contract that address the number of days Groat Road is closed.
“Any time Groat Road has four lanes closed, as we’re speaking now, there’s a $15,000 a day rental fee that’s being paid to us, so we have multiple bonuses within the contract to make sure that everybody is not just stepping back and wait and see.”
In the worst-case scenario, it could also push back the bridge’s opening by a year.
The city said it understand the inconvenience the closure has on thousands of drivers, and asks for patience as work crews fix the problem.
“As the City of Edmonton, we apologize for the inconvenience. We’re doing everything we can,” said Barry Belcourt, branch manager of the roads design and construction branch with the City of Edmonton.
“We know it impacts everybody from a business perspective, from those commuting on Groat Road. We’re going to come up with a short, medium, and long-term strategy.”
“We’re going to focus on number one priority of what does it take to get Groat Road open? We’re working 24/7 to make sure that happens,” added Belcourt.
The city said Traffic signals have been adjusted at 116 Street and the 107 Avenue/Groat Road intersection to improve traffic capacity. As well, parking bans will remain on 109 Street, 116 Street and 124 Street for peak traffic times until Groat Road is open.
“We’re looking at April 7 as our tentative open, but we’ve had to build some time in for weather,” said Belcourt. “That’s a very, very aggressive schedule.”
The City said it will keep an eye on traffic through the detour routes and adjust signal timings as necessary, and will also put up signs to help drivers.
Suggested detour routes during the closure include:
- Victoria Park Road
- 149 Street to Whitemud Drive
- 109 Street to the High Level Bridge
ETS Route 128 will continue to detour to Victoria Park Road/116 Street/107 Avenue. Extra service was added on Monday to make up for the delay.
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