Crews were set to remove the final section of the 100-year-old bridge leading to the Calgary Zoo on Wednesday but weather issues caused the delicate project to be delayed.
High winds and heavy rain on Wednesday had an impact on the removal of the 12 Street Bridge. So much so that crews had to shut down some of the equipment to wait for better conditions.
Workers attached lifting straps to the 75 metre long, 90 metric ton bridge, but that’s about as far as they got.
The winds must be no more that 15 km/hr to safely lift the bridge so the removal will be pushed to Thursday or Friday.
The Ironworkers Union is raising concerns that there are no certified ironworkers on site, which is against provincial regulations.
In a statement to CTV News, Benhamin Lof, spokesperson for Advanced Education said the province is aware of the concerns brought forth by the workers.
“We were made aware of the concerns expressed about certified ironworkers for the disassembly of the old bridge at 12 Street SE this morning. Certified ironworkers are required on this project and the Alberta government will follow-up on these concerns with a site visit to determine compliance with the requirement that only certified journey persons or registered apprentices can carry out work in a compulsory trade such as ironworker,” said Lof.
In the meantime, the new bridge is already on its way to being built.
The new bridge will have two lanes for vehicles and will also accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.
It is expected to be open by the end of the year.
