The George C. King Bridge will be closed until Sept. 5 as construction crews fix a crack in a steel component.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) closed the pedestrian bridge that spans the Bow River between the East Village and Bridgeland on Aug. 16 for public safety.
A four to six inch crack was spotted on one of the steel arches on the southwest corner of the bridge and a 311 call was phoned in.
“While we sincerely regret any inconvenience the closure is causing, CMLC has direct oversight for the upkeep, maintenance and inspection of the George C. King Bridge, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t put public safety above all else,” said president and CEO Michael Brown in a statement on Wednesday.
“The project team has been working to complete its inspection as swiftly as possible without compromising the thoroughness and integrity of the results.”
After an inspection, CMLC said there were “no additional signs of stress or premature wear” and that the crack appears to be an “anomaly.”
The temporary solution, a repair which involves affixing steel models to the bars, will cost between $20,000 and $30,000.
“We acknowledge that our fast-tracked closure of the bridge has inconvenienced many Calgarians,” said Susan Veres with CMLC.
“It was, we believe, the most prudent response to an issue observed and reported by a vigilant and caring citizen. CMLC has been doing everything in our power to remedy the matter and reopen the bridge.”
The bridge — commonly known as St. Patrick’s Island Bridge — opened in 2014 and cost just under $25-million dollars. CMLC’s protocol is to inspect major transportation infrastructure in the East Village every two years to “determine how well it is performing and aging.”
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