Work to repair damaged girders beneath Whoop-Up Drive bridge begins next week

The speed limit on Whoop-Up Drive in Lethbridge is being reduced to 70 km/h.

After months of planning and preparations, the City of Lethbridge says major repairs under the Whoop-Up Drive bridge are set to start.

The bridge’s girders were damaged in August when a semi-truck hauling a piece of construction equipment hit the bottom of the structure.

Four of six girders were damaged—two of them extensively.

The city says a limited number of contractors in Canada being qualified to perform this work, as well as materials not being readily available, caused the delay, but work will finally begin next week.

“The bridge goes back, pretty much, to the capacity and structure that was there before the damage happened, so we’re going to maintain it, and this will also help us to ensure we are doing other measures to prevent this from happening in the future,” said Joel Sanchez, City of Lethbridge director of infrastructure services.

“It will allow us to ensure the life cycle of the bridge will be the same that we had before.”

No major impacts to motorists are expected while work underneath the bridge is being done.

Weather permitting, construction is expected to be complete by Dec. 12.