New traffic delays expected to fix Whitemud overpass hit by excavator this summer
An Edmonton city councillor says more traffic delays are in the cards in the effort to fix a Whitemud overpass that was struck by an excavator this summer.
Councillor Andrew Knack posted to his Facebook page on Tuesday providing an update on the damage that was done to parts of the intersection at Anthony Henday Drive and the Whitemud in southeast Edmonton in June.
Knack stated that the consulting engineer confirmed the damage was caused by a high-load impact on the bottom flange of the girder. The impact created damage to the flange, which caused it to distort, attaching a photo showing the distortion.
Andrew Knack/Facebook
The damage has also extended into the brace supports to the girder, reducing their capacity to support. Two images showing that damage were also released.
Andrew Knack/Facebook
Andrew Knack/Facebook
“The damage is isolated to a specific section and the lane closure ensures this remains the case. The girder and brace supports require repair before the road lane above the damaged girder can safely reopen,” Knack’s post stated.
“While the outward-facing damage does not appear to be significant, the damage has put the girder and brace supports in a vulnerable state, where loading (from vehicles) could exacerbate the issue beyond a timely repair. Intermittent closures will be required on Stony Plain Road as the repair work proceeds. The other three lanes on the bridge are safe to travel on and do not require a closure.”
In a bid to reduce time on closures, aesthetic painting and non-critical repairs may have to be postponed.
Traffic detour details
- Highway 16A eastbound will be reduced to a single lane of traffic at Winterburn Road with the speed reduced to 50 km/h
- Highway 16A eastbound may need to be fully closed temporarily at times; however, this would only be done at night or on weekends. In these instances, traffic may be detoured to the eastbound service road adjacent to Highway 16A (southside).
- 215 Street (Winterburn Road) is currently reduced to a single lane of traffic in the southbound direction and will remain closed until repairs are completed.
A timeline for the repairs was also provided, with all of the repair activities needing to be done in warmer temperatures, so performing them in the winter increases cost and time.
“For this reason, City staff are prioritizing the tasks only required to increase load capacity of the bridge and reopen the lane on Winterburn Road. The hope is to have these more critical portions of the repair complete by the end of January 2024,” the post said.
Once the Winterburn lane is open, other “less critical and aesthetic components of the repair” may be postponed to Summer 2024, where costs for repairs will not require heating, and traffic disruptions will be intermittent and outside of peak hours.