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Yearend Coverage: Diefenbaker Bridge construction stymies city

Dec 28, 2016 | 11:00 AM

For years, Prince Albert’s biggest traffic challenge has been the Diefenbaker Bridge.

As the primary crossing over the North Saskatchewan River for Highway 2, the bridge serves as the “Gateway to the North” moving people, products and dangerous goods to holiday destinations and remote communities across the North of the province.

In 2016, the bridge continued to be a flash point of controversy and one of paNOW’s most popular stories.

Work to refurbish the bridge began in May, along with months of lane reductions. Work and headaches extended into the summer and fall and Mayor Greg Dionne, who campaigned on the promise to fight for a second bridge in 2012, continued to beat the drum to get the province and surrounding areas to kick in their fair share to address the need for a second bridge.

In September, a meeting of the Northern Bridge Committee was able to get the provincial highways minister to commit to an in-depth study of the bridge, in order to determine its lifespan and what the future will hold for a critical piece of northern infrastructure.

Funding for the existing bridge, and a potential second bridge, remains contentious. The provincial and federal governments have agreed to a P3 funding model, but Mayor Dionne has yet to sign Prince Albert on to the agreement, believing the city shouldn’t be responsible for one third of the funding on a multi-billion dollar project that serves mostly traffic from outside the city.

The major concern and justification for a second river crossing, aside from traffic, is the transportation of dangerous goods, including petroleum and natural gas. With only one route in and out of the North, dangerous cargo travels along Second Ave. W., through the business and residential areas of the city, at all hours of the day. The option of a second bridge to redirect dangerous goods away from the city centre remains a possibility as it could be constructed outside the city.

In 2017, the debate around Diefenbaker Bridge will rage on. City council requested a report from staff to determine the requirements needed to make the bridge fully wheelchair accessible for pedestrians. A crosswalk across the southwest exit to River St. is also being considered in the New Year.

 

shane.oneill@paNOW.com

On Twitter: @stroneill