WATCH ABOVE: Could relief be coming for commuters frustrated by the closure of Groat Road? Vinesh Pratap has an update on the girders.
EDMONTON — Progress is being made on the four buckled girders that are part of the 102 Avenue bridge project. Some of the girders are even straightening a bit.
Four bridge girders mysteriously buckled on March 16 during installation, which shut down Groat Road.
The city initiated a three-week strategy to stabilize the girders as quickly and safely as possible in order to re-open Groat Road on or before April 7.
READ MORE: Groat Road to remain closed for three weeks for curvy girder repairs
“A lot of work is happening on site and behind the scenes and we are on track to meet our strategy’s second-week goals,” said Barry Belcourt, Branch Manager, Roads Design and Construction.
“We understand the need to open Groat Road to traffic as soon as possible, but we need to be absolutely certain that the structure is completely stable first.”
A massive crane was brought in and five cranes in total are being used to take the weight of the girders.
“Our plan was to bring the big cranes in, take some of the weight vertically off of the existing girders to allow them to move more vertical. They’ve been doing that,” said Belcourt.
The city said some girders have shown minor movement since the crane lifts began on March 24, and crews have been installing bracing between them. Installing a seventh girder is expected to help stabilize the overall structure.
READ MORE: Will 102 Ave bridge’s bent girders spring back into place?
“Once girder seven is in place it can allow everything to be self supporting, and then we can disconnect the cranes and get the cranes out of here,” explained Belcourt.
“Then, once everything is engineered and certified safe, it’ll allow us to keep working towards an April 7 opening of Groat Road.”
READ MORE: Twisted metal over Groat Road leads to indefinite closure
Once traffic is flowing on Groat Road, the city will start an inspection of the damaged girders in order to determine whether they need to be repaired or replaced. Further closures of Groat Road during evenings and weekends will be required, officials said.
The bridge was supposed to be open by September, but the bent girders could delay the open for up to a year. The contractor will cover the additional costs associated with the delay.
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