The news drivers have been waiting for! The senator Sid Buckwold Bridge work is finishing early and under budget.

According to Rob Frank, City of Saskatoon Engineering Manger of Asset Preservation, the bridge will be back open fully by Sunday at the latest.

Frank says they are almost two months ahead of schedule; the result of a summer of strong progress. Frank adds there will be a bit more work under the bridge as the contractor completes minor repairs and cleans up, but he doesn’t anticipate anymore traffic disruptions.

The two-year, $20 million rehabilitation project will deliver a smoother driving surface and a wider more protected pedestrian walkway. There is also a new drainage system, repairs made to the concrete deck, strengthening of piers, and barrier replacement.

Frank explains that typically the bridge testing cycle occurs every 6 years, and all these projects were brought together at one time so they wouldn’t have to do repairs every few years. Frank says while the overall cost was expensive the three bridges are quite massive and support approximately 41,700 drivers a day. He notes the city wanted to get ahead of any future issues by doing construction on the bridges early, comparing some of the repairs to the shingles of a house, where getting at them early can prevent further damage in the future