A bridge over Coglan Creek in rural 91原创 Township has been closed until further notice after an inspection in late April identified issues.
The bridge, in the 6700 block of 248 Street, is just south of the 248 Street highway overpass, which provides a link for rural residents travelling across the highway.
According to Mayor Eric Woodward, erosion has undermined the structure over time, and it will cost an estimated $2 million to replace.
"The bridge was last assessed in 2020, and due to be inspected again this year, and then the issue occurred," Woodward said. "It is being assessed for an interim solution, and recommended for full replacement."
Township staff are working on a temporary fix that could see the bridge open again by September, but a full replacement might take up to two years to arrange, Woodward said.
The Township is asking drivers to detour around the closed bridge by either heading east to 264 Street or west to 232 Street, and using either 56 Avenue in the south or 72 Avenue in the north to get back to the 248 Street area.
Local residents will still have access to their properties, but will have to detour to the north or south depending on which side of the bridge they need to access, the Township said.
While it is a rural road, 248 Street provides access to a number of popular destinations in the area, with the Thunderbird Show Park equestrian site and Macinnes Farms, a popular filming location, just to the north, and Krause Berry Farm to the south.
The road is also part of the route for the June 8 Valley GranFondo, which starts and finishes in nearby Fort 91原创.
Earlier this year, the Township council heard a report about culvert inspections, and approved up to $13.9 million to repair or replace a number of key culverts that had serious issues. The Township has been engaged in an ongoing project of inspecting the approximately 8,090 culverts across the community, many of which are crossed by small, rural bridges through ravines and over creeks.
Woodward said that this situation was similar to that with culverts 鈥� there are 42 bridges in the Township, 28 of which need to be replaced, with an estimated total cost of $45 million.
