Delays mean 9th Avenue S.E. bridge project will exceed $23M budget: City of Calgary
It’s not on schedule and it’s not on budget, but the City of Calgary says it is doing everything it can to mitigate construction concerns for the new Ninth Avenue S.E. bridge into Inglewood, just east of the downtown core.
Work to replace the old structure, which was in use for more than 100 years, was originally scheduled to be finished at the end of 2020, but issues with the steel supply are contributing to the delay after a subcontractor went out of business.
“We are experiencing another delay with our steel supply,” said project manager Evan Fer.
“We do have some steel here on site that was delivered in the fall and installed and we’re currently waiting for the next batch of steel to continue the installation here on site.”
Fer says the delays mean the bridge will exceed its approved $23M budget.
Traffic could be allowed to use the bridge by the end of the year, but it will take at least until next spring to remove a nearby temporary bridge and finish additional landscaping.
A new completion date is projected for sometime in June 2022.
RESIDENTS EXPRESS ACCESSIBILITY CONCERNS
As construction continues on the Ninth Avenue S.E. bridge, area residents are growing frustrated as pedestrian detours remain in place, adding extra time to their commute.
Erin Joslin, VP external for the Ramsay Community Association, says one of the biggest concerns for her neighbourhood is the loss of a key pathway at Eighth Street S.E. that connects directly to Inglewood.
“We literally have no connection to Inglewood, like, we can see it right behind us, but we cannot get there unless we do a significant detour which in a car is one thing, but it’s different when you’re a pedestrian on foot and you get stuck in a dead-end,” Joslin said.
“It would really suck to have another summer where we can’t easily get over to Inglewood, there’s so much great stuff over there but we’re stuck on the other side of the tracks.”
Meanwhile, other cyclists in the area like Mike Bruni are also expressing concerns as their traditional routes continue to be interrupted.
“We were coming through Stampede Park and when we turn into Inglewood, I would say it takes us another 10 to 15 minutes every time now,” Bruni said.
“It makes it a little more difficult as a biker to try and get into Inglewood from Ninth Avenue. I’m hoping it’s going to be fixed up soon because that will make our trips that much easier and that much more enjoyable.”
People living in Inglewood, like Patricia Tuckey, agree that the City of Calgary needs to provide better access for pedestrians to enter and exit her neighbourhood.
You used to be able to walk straight downtown or bike straight downtown and it’s not that I don’t love the river path, but the detours take time and it’s just not very convenient,” she said.
“There’s no sidewalk so if they had put some kind of walkway on the sides of the tracks while they’re doing the bridge construction, it wouldn’t bother me so much that it’s still delayed.”
CITY WORKING TO ADDRESS PATHWAY CLOSURE FRUSTRATIONS
City of Calgary officials say they are aware of accessibility concerns in the area as Ninth Avenue S.E. bridge construction continues and they thank Calgarians for their patience.
“We are looking to reopen the river pathways as soon as we can but the west river pathway will have to remain closed until we remove the temporary bridge,” said Fer.
“We understand the challenges with moving around the 8th street closure and the bridge construction so it’s something we are thinking of and looking to re-open that river pathway.
The city says about 3,000 to 4,000 pedestrians and cyclists travel near the Inglewood Bridge in an east-west direction every single day, while about 20,000 cars use the temporary bridge daily.
Fer says crews are working hard to get the project done as quickly as possible as it will have a beneficial impact to all Calgarians in the long-term.
“This isn’t just a bridge replacement, this is a project that’s going to benefit you whether you use transit, whether you cycle or walk in the area. It’s really about giving Calgarians more choices and mobility.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.