The University Bridge fire is under control however traffic lanes are not going to reopen for the morning commute.

The City of Saskatoon says the pedestrian walkways on the bridge have reopened.  The bridge deck remains an active fire scene and pedestrians can only use the walkways. Spadina Crescent, below the bridge between 24th and 25th streets, remains closed to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Detailed inspections are being conducted to assess the bridge’s condition and confirm its safety prior to reopening. Based on a preliminary assessment, there doesn’t appear to be any major structural damage to the University Bridge and once further inspections are done, the City will commence work to rectify any possible damage.

The Saskatoon Fire Department says crews were drilling into the bridge deck late yesterday so firefighters could apply water at specific locations.  Fire officials say the fire appears to have started from a mattress in an encampment on top of an archway under the bridge. The flames reached the underside of the bridge deck where old wooden forms used to repair the bridge in 1972 were exposed and started a fire in a designed utility cavity that proved difficult to reach.

A timeline of when the bridge will be reopened is not known at this time. The City is asking drivers to reroute their commute:

From the east side of the bridge, drivers are encouraged to take Clarence Avenue to 12th Street and use the Broadway Bridge or use 8th street and use the Traffic Bridge or Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge.  From the west side of the bridge, drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes downtown and to use the Broadway Bridge, Traffic Bridge, or Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge.