Construction crews are getting set to drive four massive steel pilings through the existing bridge deck of the southbound lanes on the Disraeli Bridge, and they’ve got only the weekend to get the job done.
“These are steel piles, there’s four in total, and approximately thirty meters deep to bedrock,” explained Bill Ebenspanger, bridge projects engineer for the City of Winnipeg.
Starting at 6 p.m. Friday, only the northbound lanes of the bridge will be open. Traffic will be slow-moving on the Disraeli if the average 30,000 vehicles plan to use the route this weekend. Instead, city officials are suggesting drivers use the Louise or the Redwood Bridge.
News of a noisy weekend is coming as quite a surprise to those living close to the Disraeli Bridge.
“More of them? We thought they got them all in,” remarked resident Barbara Lange, “Oh, we thought the worst was over.”
The bridgework has already been very disruptive for some of the neighbours.
“Shaking off things on the wall,” Lange said, “We hear the “˜ting ting ting,’ we look around and realize it’s the china plates on the frames shaking.”
Now, the Langes plan to secure all their breakables before they look for a little peace and quiet elsewhere on Saturday.
“We understand you gotta have some noise, but if it’s going to be really bad then I will be out,” Lange added.
Crews will work until 10 p.m. to remove the south deck. Saturday, massive cranes will begin the noisy "piling" work.
“We’re not going to start any earlier than 8 a.m. on Saturday morning and hopefully be done by 9 p.m.,” said Ebenspanger.
Temporary closures like this one are expected to occur at least six more weekends over the next 18 months.
“Once half the bridge is built and traffic can be transferred half on the new bridge and half on the old bridge and we can build in between,” Ebenspanger explained.
The city promises that all four lanes of traffic will be reopened and things will be back to normal by 6 a.m. Monday morning.
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