Not in Ward 4, but heads up as this will impact traffic for any of you that are in the area!
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Beginning on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, after evening peak traffic hours, Mission Bridge will be fully closed to vehicle traffic for about six months. This closure will allow crews to complete necessary rehabilitation work on the vehicle traffic lanes. This closure includes some sidewalk width reductions but pedestrians, wheelers and cyclists will still be able to use the bridge, although cyclists are encouraged to continue dismounting their bikes when crossing the bridge.
Beginning on Friday, Nov. 1, there will be a full closure of Mission Bridge for motorists. This closure will remain in effect for about six months. With this closure, there will be some sidewalk width reductions. Pedestrian, wheeler and cyclist access will be maintained during this closure.
The benefits of this closure include:
-Speeding up construction timeline by about one year
-Reduced environmental risks
Spring 2025: the bridge will reopen to two-way vehicle traffic. Late 2025: anticipated project completion.
People travelling through the area are asked to follow posted construction signage for their safety and that of construction crews.
“We have progressed well over the summer on the repairs required to the bridge’s exterior and are ready to start work on its interior. Understandably, the closure is a challenging period for people living, working or playing in the Mission District, however, this allows us to best manage the bridge’s repairs so it can last for another 35 years until requiring any further intervention,” says Max Lacroix, Project Manager and Senior Structural Engineer with The City. “We are committed to minimizing impacts to bridge users, area residents and local businesses while this work happens; we want to re-open Mission Bridge to vehicle traffic quickly while also making sure the work is completed safely.”
Commuters are advised to allow extra travel time and use alternate routes or modes of transportation when possible.
The City schedules, coordinates and actively monitors the impact of construction activities and associated lane closures or detours on traffic. In planning for construction-related closures and detours, we consider where the work is being done, what the impacts will be to businesses, to those travelling to and through the area, how long the work will be underway and how that work can affect the surrounding streets.
We make every effort to minimize disruptions to your commute by coordinating work between projects and review and change traffic signal timings where possible to keep traffic moving. Our goal is to minimize disruptions and ensure the safety and accessibility of our transportation network.
We’re here to help Calgarians get around during our busy construction season. We want to encourage Calgarians to plan ahead and make use of available tools. Here are some ways to help you navigate:
· Use trip planning apps for the most up to date information and watch for detour and planned closure signs on your route.
· Calgary.ca/trafficinfo has resources like traffic camera feeds, current conditions, and information on current and planned lane closures.
· The @yyctransport account on X/Twitter puts out information on planned closures and detours, and real time traffic updates.
· The City’s traffic advisory radio station 107.9.
At our Oct. 10 drop-in style Open House, the project team was able to answer questions from interested parties about the project; we’re pleased to share that everyone who joined us was aware of the bridge closure and feels well prepared for Nov. 1. The project team will continue to remain in regular contact with interested parties by sharing construction updates as they have throughout the project.
We thank Calgarians for their patience and understanding as we work to complete this important infrastructure project.
2024 Construction Progress
Work on the rehabilitation of Mission Bridge began in May 2024 with crews making steady progress to the point where the contractor has finished most of the work on the exterior of the structure. As one of Calgary’s oldest bridges, The City’s investment of $17.8 million helps extend its life by about 35 years.
About the Project
Mission Bridge, along 4 Street S.W. at the south end of the Mission District, was originally built in 1915 and was last upgraded in 1987. Major rehabilitation is underway now to help extend the bridge’s lifespan for additional decades to come. While we are conducting this critical repair work, we are also improving the bridge for pedestrian and cyclist accessibility and safety by adding multi-use pathways to each side of the bridge and by upgrading bridge lighting. The bridge will be closed to motor vehicles for about six months over the winter, beginning on Nov. 1, 2024.
