Two of Edmonton's most iconic bridges are set to be replaced | Daily Hive

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The City of Edmonton is preparing to eventually replace some of Edmonton’s oldest and most iconic river crossings, saying the High Level Bridge and Low Level Bridges are nearing the end of their service lives.

Accoring to a report presented to Edmonton City Council today, the City says rehabilitation alone is no longer a practical long-term solution for the High Level Bridge after an updated engineering analysis found the structure is in worse condition than previously believed, and rehabilitation costs are soaring.

“At 113 years old, the bridge is beyond the end of its lifecycle, making rehabilitation a high-risk, high-cost endeavour with an extended construction schedule,” the report says, adding that major rehabilitation work would need to happen every 20 to 25 years, becoming more expensive and riskier each time.

Downstream, repairs to the southbound Low Level Bridge were completed in 2025, while rehabilitation work on the northbound bridge is expected to begin in 2027. The City says that work will allow the bridge to remain in service for vehicle traffic and active transportation until a replacement crossing is built.

Once a new multi-modal bridge is completed, vehicle traffic will no longer be permitted on the current Low Level Bridges. The southbound bridge would be decommissioned and demolished, while the northbound bridge could either be repurposed for bicycles and pedestrians or demolished, depending on future council decisions.

“All bridges remain safe to use, with ongoing inspections, maintenance and rehabilitation work in place. At the same time, the City is planning ahead to ensure safe and reliable crossings into the future,” says a City of Edmonton construction update.

“This includes continued short-term repairs and monitoring, alongside long-term planning for eventual bridge replacement and upgrades that better support transit, walking, cycling, goods movement and future growth.”

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Council is expected to consider funding for a new Low Level replacement bridge during the 2027-2030 budget cycle, while budget considerations for the future of the High Level Bridge are also expected to ramp up during the 2031 to 2039 budget cycle.

City of Edmonton

Because the High Level Bridge is a designated Municipal Historic Resource, additional hurdles would need to be cleared before it could be decommissioned. Council would need to repeal the bridge’s heritage designation before any potential demolition could move forward.

Current timelines outlined in the report suggest planning and design work for a new High Level Bridge could begin between 2031 and 2034, with construction potentially starting between 2035 and 2039.

The City says removing the bridges without replacements would create major congestion, longer travel times, and significant impacts to transit, goods movement, and active transportation across the river valley. To avoid that, the City plans to keep the existing bridges operational while replacement bridges are planned and constructed, staggering work to minimize traffic disruptions.