Skip to main content

VIDEO: Saskatoon bridge demolition removes final span

November 18, 2016
The final section of a defunct bridge in Saskatoon has now been removed by demolition contractor Rakowski Cartage & Wrecking. Excavators fitted with hydraulic breakers were employed by the firm to break up the final span, which collapsed into the river as planned. Demolition work to remove the defunct structure commenced in 2012. Other sections of the bridge were removed using explosive demolition earlier this year.

Work to construct the Saskatoon Traffic Bridge, also known as the Victoria Bridge, commenced in 1906 and the link opened to traffic in 1907. The construction of the 290m long truss-type bridge was instrumental in the development of modern day Saskatoon as the link connected Nutan on the east bank of the South Saskatchewan River, with Saskatoon and Riversdale on the west bank. When the bridge was constructed it cost $106,000, however it closed to traffic in 2010 as it was no longer considered structurally sound. The old structure joined Victoria Avenue to 3rd Avenue South and Spadina Crescent and the new bridge taking its place will be complete in 2018.

Related Content

  • JCCBI says US$300m for demolishing Montreal’s old Champlain Bridge
    April 11, 2017
    Tearing down the old steel truss cantilever Champlain Bridge in Montreal could cost around US$300 million, according to preliminary estimates by a federal government agency. Also, until the nearby new Champlain Bridge is finished, it will cost US$93 million annually to maintain the old one, according to Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), the federal Canadian agency that oversees several major road infrastructure assets in the city. Dismantling will start in 2019 at the earliest and
  • Nepal bridge building receiving funding
    June 4, 2018
    Financing from the World Bank will help pay for bridge building work in Nepal. The road from Muglin to Narayanghat is being widened currently, which will see the route featuring a lane in either direction, rather than the single lane that carries all traffic at present. This will boost its capacity and reduce delays to drivers on the route, which carries around 20,000 vehicles/day. Improving the 36km, north-south route however requires the construction of 18 new bridges. Much of the route is already surface
  • New Zealand's bridges survive earthquake
    February 7, 2012
    How is it that New Zealand's recent large and destructive earthquake did so little damage to the bridges in the quake zone? Mary Searle investigates. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit the Canterbury region in New Zealand at 4.35am on Saturday, 4 September was similar in size to the quake that shook Haiti in January. However, the damage in Canterbury was minimal in comparison. A key contributor to this was New Zealand's preparedness for such an event. Positioned on a major fault line, New Zealand has ear
  • Bulgaria plans for operating road infrastructure
    February 21, 2012
    There is a lot of work to do on Bulgarian roads, but the government has plans to increase the length of highways built each year as Krasimir Krastanov reports. Bulgarian roads with a pavement make up 98.4% of all the country's roads, while 92.5% of them have an asphalt surface and 82.8% of them are able to carry 10tonnes/axle.