University Way bridge construction delayed as UNBC’s fall semester is days away

UNBC celebrated residence move-in day yesterday (Thursday), and fall classes will begin following the long weekend.

Today’s news from the city is not what staff and students hoped  to hear.

The Shane Creek bridge, which is needed to access UNBC from Foothills, will be under construction for up to four weeks longer than was first thought.

Originally, the project was supposed to be completed today, with a construction timeline set from August 8 to September 1.

That timeline was quickly shifted; construction started on August 22nd and was set to go to September 15th – now the further delay could push completion as late as October 13th.

“Now that the driving deck has been removed we’ve identified some deficiencies in the concrete sub-structure that need to be repaired before the new deck can be placed on,” manager of roads & fleet, Jordan Wiseman said.

“We’re also taking advantage of University Way being closed to vehicles by undertaking a pothole sweep over the coming weeks and ensuring remedial work can be done on the road during this time.

“We apologize for the estimated timeframe needing to be extended, but like a lot of upgrade work, once you start the work you identify various issues along the way. We appreciate everyone’s understanding,” he said.

Despite the delay, the city said they expect the project to remain on budget.

You can find the city’s full release here.