Major rehabilitation for Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge starts April 15
The Senator Sid L. Buckwold Bridge will undergo a major rehabilitation beginning on Monday April 15, 2019. To minimize the impact on traffic and eliminate the need for a full bridge closure, the work will happen in two phases.
“The first phase will begin on the lanes leaving downtown and work will continue throughout the summer of 2019,” says Todd Grabowski, Manager of Asset Preservation for Bridges. “In the spring of 2020, the second phase of work will begin on the lanes heading into downtown and continue through the 2020 construction season.”
Over the next two years, the Senator Sid Buckwold Rehabilitation project will include:
- Deck repairs and asphalt replacement
- Resurfacing of the Idylwyld Drive ramps over 19th Street
- Strengthening of piers
- Barrier replacement
- Walkway widening with taller barriers for improved pedestrian protection
- New drainage system to help better traction by reducing puddles and splashing
The City’s preservation plan, with the results of the Deck Testing Program, identified the need to rehabilitate the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge to ensure it remains safe, serviceable and structurally sound for years to come.
“Allowing deficiencies to worsen over time would accelerate the need for a more extensive rehab or even full replacement, which is far more expensive, time consuming and disruptive,” Grabowski says.
Two-way traffic will be maintained during both phases of the project however there will be lane restrictions and as a result, traffic delays are expected.
This summer, the lanes leaving downtown will be closed and that traffic will be diverted to the other side. The walkway will stay open. During the 2020 construction season, the lanes heading into downtown will be closed, traffic will flip to the other side and the bridge walkway will be closed. The Meewasin Trails on either side will stay open throughout the project with the possibility of temporary disruptions on the Rotary Park side during some phases to allow for repairs.
Necessary adjustments will be made to traffic signal timing, construction signage will be in place and restrictions will be advertised. The latest project information will be posted at Saskatoon.ca/sidbuckwold and restrictions will be listed in the Daily Road Report.