ATHABASCA, ALTA. – A 72-year-old bridge in the town of Athabasca is being replaced with a new, $70 million structure.
Alberta-based Alberco Construction Ltd. will begin work in late summer. Officials say the project will support more than 400 jobs during construction.
Officials say the existing bridge will remain in place until the new one opens. The new bridge, which will be north of the existing bridge, will include a pedestrian sidewalk and one kilometre of road realignment. The province noted now that a contract to build the bridge has been finalized, the contractor is expected to finalize supplier contracts and material delivery before construction starts later this summer.
The existing bridge spanning the Athabasca River was built in 1950 and includes a wooden plank bridge deck. The new bridge is expected to open to traffic in 2025.
It will include two 3.7-metre-wide lanes with 1.8-metre-wide shoulders on either side and a 2.5-metre sidewalk on the south side of the bridge
“The existing bridge is old, too narrow and has served its useful life,” said Rajan Sawhney, minister of transportation in a statement. “The new bridge will support economic development, improvements to safety and commuter traffic in and around Athabasca, and provide a connection for area Indigenous communities.”
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