SASKATOON – A landmark more than a century old is scheduled to be demolished with explosives Sunday morning. The City of Saskatoon has released plans to dismantle the Traffic Bridge that once connected Nutana with downtown.
The blast is scheduled for 9 a.m. CT on Jan. 10, consisting of 16 directional explosive charges. Half of the bridge will be taken down in the first phase of demolition.
READ MORE: Traffic Bridge design released by the City of Saskatoon
“It’s all going to go off at once. All you’re going to hear is one loud bang and both spans will drop immediately to the berm,” said Tristan Rakowski of Rakowski Cartage & Wrecking.
The debris field is expected to cover about 10 metres around the blast site, Rakowski said. As a precaution, a 250-metre radius zone will be blocked off surrounding the bridge.
People living within the zone should have received a letter Thursday notifying them of the demolition. Residents are asked to stay indoors if they live in the area.
However, pedestrians are allowed to view the dismantling from the nearby Broadway Bridge, which will be closed to vehicle traffic.
“People watching from the bridge will not require eye or ear protection and there is no risk of flying debris or dust from this location,” said Dan Willems, special projects manager with major projects at the City of Saskatoon.
Three short sirens will be sounded three minutes before the blast. An all-clear siren will be delivered afterwards. People who live nearby and subscribe to the city’s NotifyNow system will also receive information about the demolition.
Road closures and detours can be expected from about 7:30 a.m. to around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The bridge’s remnants – mainly structural steel, treated wood and asphalt overlay – will be fully recyclable, Rakowski said.
The Saskatoon Fire Department will be patrolling the South Saskatchewan River and riverbank. Police will redirect traffic nearby.
The new bridge in the same location is expected to be operational by October 2018.
Comments