WATCH ABOVE: The snow is not having an impact on the work taking place to re-open Groat Road. Vinesh Pratap has the latest.
EDMONTON — City officials say they’ve met their week-one goal in the 102 Avenue bridge project after four girders buckled Monday morning.
The setback forced the closure of Groat Road until approximately April 7.
Crews followed the plan to bring in a larger crane to begin stabilizing the bridge in the first week, and will then assess the damaged girders and either remove or repair them in the second and third weeks.
“We’re looking at April 7 as our tentative open,” said Roads Design and Construction Branch Manager Barry Belcourt on Tuesday. “We’ve had to build some time in for weather, and that’s included within that schedule.”
“That’s a very, very aggressive schedule.”
On Friday, Belcourt said Thursday night’s snowfall had not slowed them down. Winds of more than 15 km/h and temperatures below -25 degrees could slow work on the bridge.
READ MORE: 6 things you need to know about the Groat Road closure
“The large support crane needed to stabilize the girders is in place.
“Now we’re conducting a precise review of all the engineering diagrams and comparing them with everything we know about the damaged girders, in order to figure out the safest way to attach the girders to the support crane.”
Once the girders are attached and the bridge supported, Groat Road will be reopened to traffic.
Based on traffic data, the city modified several traffic signals and parking restrictions on affected roadways, such as sections of 107 Avenue, 111 Avenue, 105 Street, 109 Street, 116 Street and 124 Street. Recommended detour routes include Victoria Park Road, 149 Street, Whitemud Drive and 109 Street to the High Level Bridge.
READ MORE: City of Edmonton takes steps to ease Groat Road closure headache
The city is also prioritizing the affected roads when it comes to services like snow removal, street sweeping and pothole repair.
Around 2:15 a.m. Monday, four of the 40-tonne girders being used to construct the new bridge 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. The cause will help the city determine liability.
READ MORE: Groat Road to remain closed for three weeks for curvy girder repairs
There are also penalties for the contractor when it comes to the extended road closure.
“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,” explained Belcourt.
Overall impacts to the budget and schedule for the 102 Avenue bridge replacement project are still not known at this time.
“We thank Edmonton residents and drivers for their ongoing patience,” said Belcourt.
“We know how inconvenient this situation has been for everyone and we are working diligently to resolve it as swiftly and safely as possible.”
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