The Broadway Bridge is weeks from closing for repairs, and businesses are bracing for the project that could alter the rhythm of life on the bustling Saskatoon thoroughfare.
Cole Thorpe owns Prairie Pride, one of roughly 155 businesses in the Broadway district, and most are used to dealing with adversity over the past few years — from the pandemic to the postal strike.
He says they’ve managed by moving into online sales.
“We continue to diversify our revenue streams, even further. Just knowing that the summer might be down from where we normally would like to be,” Thorpe said.
With the Broadway Bridge closing for much-needed construction, store owners are forced to take it all in stride.
“We’re the city of bridges. We have Victoria just down the road, there’s University, so there’s lots of ways to get here and I hope people keep showing up,” Jeff Wickstrom, owner Broadway Shoe Repair told CTV News.
The work to repair the historic structure, built in 1932, was originally hoped to start in April. Now, due to contractor timing it will begin in early or mid-May.
Todd Grabowski, city asset preservation engineering manager, says this will be a major rehabilitation project to take the bridge into the future. The last time this bridge had major work like this was in 1987, so it’s due.
“We’ll be taking off the asphalt surface, doing some concrete deck repairs, putting a new waterproof membrane,” Grabowski said.
Other work includes walkway repair and reconfiguring the intersection at the bottom of the bridge on fourth Avenue downtown to become more of a T intersection.
The idea of keeping part of the bridge open during construction was considered, Grabowski says, but ultimately they decided against it because that would’ve extended the work by another year.
The Bridge is the main access point for summer tourists staying at downtown hotels, so that will be monitored closely.
The 12th Street and Saskatchewan Crescent access points will be open during the work, which is encouraging to those on the street.
The Broadway Business Improvement District executive director is looking at the positives.
“We may actually have a benefit. So, people coming down Broadway to go downtown when they get to the detour, they’re going to maybe say, hey, we might as well just stay on Broadway,” Anne-Marie Cey, said.
They’re planning to encourage more cycling, walking and scooters and will even offer a bike valet. More street festivals are planned too, including closing off part of the five corners area and making it for pedestrians only.
“We’re going to try and find extra parking as well, just to help alleviate some of the frustration that people might find with the detours and talking about traffic calming measures, too,” she says.
Businesses still remember work done on the roadway in 2016 that created rerouting hassles to get into businesses. They don’t think the upcoming construction will alter traffic as much as that did.
While most businesses CTV News spoke to are choosing to remain positive, the reality is that this closure could ultimately affect their bottom line.
“That is significantly going to hurt us. So I am preparing for significantly reduced foot traffic,” Thorpe said. His store may have to also look at reducing staff if sales drop enough to warrant it.
The uniqueness of the Broadway neighborhood is what the owner of Five Corners Coffee is counting on for support.
“For us, being a community driven business and community focused, a lot of our clientele already come from within the neighborhood,” said Casey Loseth, with Five Corners Coffee. He anticipates his regular foot traffic will continue, despite the bridge closure.
The work on the bridge is expected to last until the end of October.
