By Shane O'Neill

Diefenbaker Bridge repairs complete, lifespan assessment set to begin

Nov 4, 2016 | 6:00 AM

Work on the Diefenbaker Bridge is now “substantially complete,” according to Prince Albert’s capital projects manager Wes Hicks.

Originally scheduled to wrap up in September, some unexpected surprises during restoration required the city to grant an extension to the contractor.

“They had to be given additional days for the additional work that was discovered on the underside of the bridge,” Hicks said.

The southbound lanes, on the west side of the bridge, required much of the additional work due to an increased amount of deterioration.

The contractor was given 130 days to complete work on the bridge, but two extensions totaling 33 days were granted by the city. Hicks said the contractor was granted a total of 163 site rental days, and in the end, the contractor used only 155 days, eight days less than the total agreed time frame.

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The project is funded 100 per cent by the province’s urban highway connector program. For completing the project ahead of time, after receiving two extensions, the contractor gets an additional $24,000 as part of a rental fee incentive.

Including the cost of the additional incentive, Hicks believes the project will likely be $30,000 to $60,000 over budget, once the final calculation is completed. The city is not on the hook for the additional cost of the project, as it falls within the province’s approved budget.

 “Considering we added almost $300,000 of additional construction work on the underside of the bridge, I think that’s a pretty remarkable number,” Hicks said.

The city has 40 days to calculate the total cost of the project. 

There will be minor lane disruptions on the bridge until Nov. 10, but it is part of the province’s total bridge assessment on the lifespan of the bridge. No engineering work will be done.

shane.oneill@paNOW.com

On Twitter: @stroneill