Bridge users and nearby business owners rejoiced Friday as the new 102nd Avenue bridge over Groat Road opened just after 9 a.m., nearly a year behind schedule.
“This is an awesome day,” said Carol Logan, owner of Carol’s Quality Sweets in The High Street, on the east side of the bridge. “I feel like an elephant has been lifted from my back.”
‘It will be so nice to see the kids come across and drop their bikes and come in to the candy store again,’ said Logan (CBC)
There’s been a huge drop in customer traffic to her store since the bridge closed for refurbishing in July 2014, which has meant a huge drop in income, Logan said.
“Who suffers first when you don’t have an income for your business? You’re not going to get your paycheque,” she said. “It’s meant no holidays, no time off, you don’t have extra staff.”
Logan said she’s most looking forward to seeing the children who live on the other side of the bridge come back to her shop.”It will be so nice to see the kids come across, and drop their bikes, and come in to the candy store again.”
A ceremonial crossing
Before opening her store for the day, Logan made a point of walking across the bridge, “just to feel it was finally done,” she said.
“It gave me joy to hop up and down in the middle to say it’s finally here.”
A group of about 20 employees from the Royal Alberta Museum walked eastbound across the bridge to buy coffee at a shop on the other side. A family of four on bicycles rode back and forth across the bridge several times, enjoying the smooth new asphalt.
Matt Anderson and Colleen Feehan were the first pedestrians to walk across the new bridge. They were on a pedestrian commute from their home to their jobs in the city’s downtown.
Colleen Feehan and Matt Anderson were the first two pedestrians to walk across the newly refurbished 102nd Ave bridge after it reopened Friday morning. (CBC)
“Fantastic! There’s a bike lane, and it’s big and spacious and we’re so much closer to High Street now,” Feehan said.
The bridge closure had meant a longer commute because of having to detour to Stony Plain Road.
Both said they are hopeful the reopening of the bridge will mean a boost in income for the small businesses on the east side of the bridge.
That sentiment was echoed by Concetta Carbonero and Camille Robertson. The two women live in the area and deliberately came to the bridge to be among the first to cross it.
“It’s really important to support them so I hope people drive over and stop in High Street and that, and support the local businesses now that the bridge is open.” Carbonero said.
“The neighbourhood’s excited,” added Robertson.
Some lane closures ahead
While the whole bridge was open Friday morning, that won’t always be the case.
There will be two traffic lanes maintained in each direction during peak hours — Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.— with pedestrian access on one side.
The city said lane reductions will be needed during off-peak hours through the summer and into the fall to complete the finishing work.
Groat Road and the multi-use trail on the west side of Groat Road will see “multiple weekend and overnight closures” in coming weeks, the city said.
The bridge replacement project suffered a major setback in March 2015 when three girders buckled because a subcontractor misinterpreted the bracing requirements in the engineering plans.