Structural concerns close Traffic Bridge

Congestion on Saskatoon streets is going to get worse before it gets better.

The Traffic Bridge was closed indefinitely late Tuesday afternoon after inspectors red-flagged major structural problems in a preliminary inspection report.

The iconic steel truss bridge, which opened in 1907 to connect Victoria Avenue to downtown Saskatoon, was undergoing a comprehensive inspection that began Monday. At around 4 p.m. Tuesday, crews barricaded both ends of the bridge to traffic after city managers decided evidence of deterioration was strong enough that vehicles or pedestrians shouldn’t be crossing.

"When you’ve got something open to the public you have to be able to make sure it’s safe," said Mike Gutek, the city’s infrastructure services manager.

"What I know now is that there’s enough of a red flag that in the interests of public safety, we’re closing the bridge indefinitely."

The bridge inspectors found corrosion and deterioration on the lower steel structure under the bridge deck. The extent of the deterioration is what prompted the closure, with concerns about the state of the support system for the bridge deck.

The bridge is having problems holding itself up, Gutek said.

The closure couldn’t come at a worse time, Gutek admitted.

The Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge is already down to one lane in either direction — forcing hundreds more vehicles and pedestrians across the Traffic Bridge during the last eight weeks. There’s no access from the Idylwyld Freeway to Eighth Street and Lorne Avenue, and there are a number of detours in the Broadway and Nutana areas.

Many frustrated drivers spun in circles around the roundabout at the bottom of the Traffic Bridge after the closure Tuesday at rush hour.

"I’m pretty angry," said driver Dave Sosulski, who rolled down his window to talk to a reporter. A typical 30-minute drive was already 45 minutes long without even making it through the downtown. As traffic inched forward, he was honked at by impatient motorists behind him. Before he moved along he said the already bad traffic problem was only exacerbated by the closure of the Traffic Bridge.

The confusion caused evident frustration as drivers were caught unaware. Traffic on 19th Street leading to the Broadway Bridge was backed up to Idylwyld Drive and caused snarls throughout the downtown, including congestion on Third Avenue.

Driver Meghan Allen sat with her car idling on Spadina Crescent, which was at times backed up to 21st Street East with drivers trying to get onto the University Bridge.

"I’ve been stuck in traffic for more than an hour," she said at 5:30 p.m. Allen expected her usual 20-minute drive to take well over an hour and a half Tuesday.

Gutek wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Traffic Bridge’s permanent closure — or at least closure until a decision is made on the bridge’s future.

The city will know more about the immediate future next week once the full inspection is complete, he said.

"Before I can let people back on it we need to (be) sure of its structural integrity," Gutek said.

The Traffic Bridge was closed in 2005 due to concerns about corrosion in the steel trusses. It reopened in September 2006 after repairs that were expected to extend the life of the bridge for 20 years, to 2026.

The city is examining the future of the bridge through a series of public meetings. Everything from demolishing the steel truss bridge and building a new signature structure, widening the bridge, running a trolley or tram route from the Broadway area to River Landing or closing the bridge to vehicles is being explored.

"There’s always been that possibility (of closing the bridge permanently) as we’ve outlined in reports over the years," Gutek said. "We were able to fix one element that was of concern in 2005, but the bridge is made up of a great number of elements.

"We know the bridge is reaching the end of its service life."