Edmonton business group says bridge construction will hurt Downtown

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A group lobbying for Edmonton businesses wants the city to pause repairs on three bridges over the river valley, fearing the work alongside other construction will cause major traffic delays and damage efforts to revitalize Downtown with routes disrupted from all sides.

Dawson Bridge and Low Level Bridge southbound are scheduled to partially close this year while Wellington Bridge, over 102 Avenue, will be shut down completely for replacement starting in the fall.

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But repairs are scheduled at the same time as other major construction projects.

Roadwork on the west leg of the Valley Line LRT, upgrades to parts of Jasper Avenue and 99 Street, and the 103A Avenue pedway — together with the bridge repairs — will surround the core with upended roads, detours, and delays that could add 15 to 30 minutes to trips from the suburbs during peak hours, according to the city’s estimate last May. Three more bridges are set for repair in the next five years, with the Walterdale Bridge potentially switching to a two-way span to lessen congestion during that time.

The Downtown Revitalization Coalition (DRC), formerly the Downtown Recovery Coalition, is urging the city to pause the suite of bridge repairs and reassess the schedule, saying the intensified construction will threaten the city’s economic recovery and confidence from investors.

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“This plan is short-sighted and risks undoing years of effort to revitalize our city’s core,” DRC chairwoman Cheryll Watson said in a news release Thursday. “Downtown businesses are finally seeing signs of recovery, more workers are returning to the office, and students are filling our post-secondary campuses again. Cutting off access to Downtown now will undermine all of that progress.”

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Edmonton’s Downtown is becoming safer and more inviting but depends on consistent foot traffic and activity, the lobby group says. But prolonged disruption will risk reversing progress to date and may deter businesses optimistically investing in Downtown’s future because of uncertainty and limited access.

The lobby group wants to stagger construction and consult with businesses and other groups.

Council is set to review the major construction project schedule at city hall Feb. 25.

A report scheduled to be presented that day says city administration uses models to analyze traffic conditions and projects with the most disruption on the traffic network are adjusted for timing and the level of road restriction allowed. The city

‘A s–t show’

El Jardin owner Percy Wiredue, speaking to Postmedia Thursday, said he knew there would be some impacts from construction when he opened his Downtown restaurant in 2023 but even the current situation along 104 Avenue is causing a mess.

“For a lack of better words, it’s a s–t show. Streets are left messy, and then Downtown you compound that with our homelessness issue, and it’s a clusterf–k,” he said. “We’re starting to see more people come back to the office Downtown. If their commute changes or doubles, they will stop doing that.”

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“You will continue to see business closures just because of lack of access.”

Wiredue, who also owns El Corazon along the torn-up LRT route to the west, said customers tell him they love the restaurant but with the construction during rush hour they don’t want to come back.

“They will do it once, they will come, but they won’t forget the pain to get there and they’re reluctant to do it again.”

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@laurby

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