Edmonton to close 4 major bridges for repairs

The High Level Bridge takes over 27,000 drivers from downtown to Edmonton’s southside, crossing the 112-year-old structure every day. That traffic stops in 2027 when this vital link closes for repairs.

For commuters, the news gets worse. This is just one of four bridges closing for maintenance.

Those who care about downtown Edmonton and its survival are angry.

“We’ve got some vibrancy in the downtown, people are coming back, and now, we are about to shut the doors on our downtown, and these businesses will not survive,” said Cheryll Watson, chair of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition.

City engineers claim the High and Low Level Bridges, Wellington Bridge, and Dawson Bridge need repair within a couple of years.

Business groups want to know how the city plans to get customers and workers into the city core from the southside.

“No one at the city is really stepping back and seeing the implication of all of these different decisions,” said Watson

Papastew Ward Councillor Michael Janz says all options to minimize disruptions are on the table, but that the repairs have to go forward.

Some of the solutions including making the new Walterdale Bridge open to two-way traffic, or at least shutting down bridges in phases. Janz blames previous city councils for the mess.

“When an engineer says a bridge is at the end of life, there is no arguing,” said Janz.

“It just feels like everything has been kicked down the line until we got to the point of component failure.”

Engineers will go before city council this spring to present solutions to the commuting mess made by closing four bridges at once.