SASKATOON – By the end of July it’s expected the Circle Drive South Project will be complete and already there are plans for another big project. This one has the potential of adding two more river crossings by 2017.
The North Commuter Parkway Project includes a bridge that will cross the river in the city’s far north, linking the Marquis Industrial area with University Heights. A functional planning study has been completed and a report will be up for approval at executive committee on Monday. If approved there, it will move forward to city council for full approval.
This project was a big part of city councillor Zach Jeffries’ campaign platform in Fall 2012. Jeffries says the new bridge is needed to get people from the growing northeast neighbourhoods of his ward across the river to the business district in the northwest.
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“This is not a 1 off project, it’s part of a plan to grow Saskatoon to half-a-million people” said Jeffries.
The project includes 9 km of connecting roadway and the proposed size of the bridge has increased from four lanes to six.
The Traffic Bridge hasn’t been forgotten in all of this. Closed to vehicles since August 2010, the city does still recognize it as a necessary crossing to access downtown Saskatoon. Administration is recommending packaging a replacement for the Traffic Bridge in with the North Commuter Parkway Project.
Special projects manager with the city Dan Willems said doing it this way could help curb the cost “it takes advantage of joint financing so the financing can be shared and you also get a more competitive financing scenario based on a larger overall project value.”
Originally, the North Commuter Parkway Bridge was expected to cost $85.6 million. Now by proposing a bridge that’s 2 lanes wider, the price has risen to $118 million. Land and connecting roadways are estimated at $76.3 million and the addition of $35 million to replace the Traffic Bridge brings the dual project to a total cost of $229.5 million.
“A large portion of our financing plan at this point assumes, or anticipates, a big contribution from the federal and provincial governments” said Willems.
Neither the federal or provincial governments have confirmed funding.
The city is aiming to complete the North Commuter Parkway Project by fall 2016, and the replacement Traffic Bridge, the following year.
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