Motorists who regularly travel on the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge should be prepared for traffic delays starting April 15.
The bridge, which connects Idylwyld Drive to Saskatoon’s east side, will be undergoing major rehabilitation work until late October.
The project will take place over two phases during the construction seasons of 2019 and 2020. Staggering the workload over two phases will allow the bridge to remain partially open to commuters for the duration of construction.
“Two-way traffic will be maintained during both phases of the project, however there will be lane restrictions, and as a result, traffic delays are expected,” said Todd Grabowski, the city’s manager of asset preservation for bridges.
The first round of construction will begin on the lane exiting downtown, and traffic will be diverted to the other side.
In 2020, the work will flip, with lanes heading into the downtown area closed to traffic. Despite the temporary shutdowns on the bridge, traffic flow is expected to return to normal come October.
“During the winter, we plan to open the structure completely, but there could be speed reductions from 70 kilometres an hour down to 60 kilometres an hour,” said Grabowski.
The total cost of the project is estimated at roughly $20 million, while the two years of construction will extend the deck life of the bridge by 25 to 30 years.