If you cross the 9 Avenue S.E. bridge into Calgary’s Inglewood neighbourhood with more than five tonnes — or 11,000 pounds — in tow, you could face a hefty fine.
Police spent Monday stopping overweight vehicles to explain to drivers that officers will be enforcing the weight rules, which have been in place since January.
On Jan. 24, the city decreased the restriction to five tonnes from 8.5 tonnes after an inspection found bottom chords on the bridge were being overstressed.
The truss bridge’s age and high traffic volume are factors in the effort to spare it from any extra mass.
Because buses and fire trucks are considered to be essential services, they are exempt from the restrictions, the city said.
Commercial drivers should know their vehicle’s weight — but private passenger vehicles driven with a Class 5 licence, like motorhomes and moving vans, can outweigh the bridge as well, Moriarity cautioned.
Fines
For trucks weighing 5,001 kilograms up to 10,000 kg, the penalty is $34 per 100 kg plus a 15 per cent surcharge.
- 1,000 kg over = $391
- 2,000 kg over = $782
- 3,000 kg over = $1,173
- 4,000 kg over = $1,564
- 5,000 kg over = $1,955
For vehicles weighing 10,001 kg up to 15,000 kg, the penalty is $47 per 100 kg plus a 15 per cent surcharge.
- 6,000 kg over = $3,246
- 7,000 kg over = $3,783
- 8,000 kg over = $4,324
- 9,000 kg over = $4,864
- 10,000 kg over = $5,405
The city recommends detours that avoid the bridge (and potential fines).
Temporary and permanent bridges on the way
Since the bridge is not built to modern standards, it will be replaced because safety is paramount, said Charmaine Buhler, the manager of bridge maintenance.
“We want to make sure we’re protecting the public and preserving the bridge until we can replace it,” she said.
A temporary bridge is scheduled to open this summer so traffic can flow while the permanent bridge is constructed.
The five-tonne restriction won’t apply when the interim bridge opens, according to the city.
Commuters can expect very little impact during construction, said Evan Fer, the project manager of transportation infrastructure.
The city said the permanent bridge is set to open in fall 2020.
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