Traffic, pedestrian restrictions to start Thursday near Albert Street Bridge

Starting Thursday, traffic will be affected on another of Regina’s main streets.

In a media release Wednesday, the City of Regina said work will begin at 9 a.m., to install a temporary bypass of stormwater service on the east side of the Albert Street Memorial Bridge in Wascana Park.

The work is required after a large pipe failed, causing a sinkhole to form in a home’s backyard.

“This work is (an) emergency and is absolutely required to repair critical infrastructure,” Kurtis Doney, the city’s acting executive director of citizen services, said during a media availability after an executive committee meeting Wednesday.

“The temporary drainage solution is set up and it will include digging a very large trench with nine pumps that are going to be located in Wascana Park to pump the stormwater into the lake.”

Because of the work, the city said traffic and sidewalk access will be restricted on the bridge’s northbound lanes for about a week. There will still be two-way traffic and pedestrian access in the southbound lanes.

According to the release, the pedestrian walking path in Wascana Park will be restricted at various times during construction and during significant rainfall events to ensure safety. As well, the stairs and under-bridge path for pedestrians and cyclists will be closed on both sides of the bridge during the temporary drainage solution.

“This work will be expensive,” Doney said. “We are currently working on the temporary bypass solution and we know that the temporary bypassing is going to cost somewhere between $200,000 to $300,000.

“But that is just beginning, because we need to ensure we protect the health and safety of the residents and provide reliable stormwater service. So we will work towards a permanent solution in the coming months.”

Some of Regina’s main thoroughfares have been under construction of late, including Lewvan Drive, Pasqua Street and 11th Avenue. As a result, drivers have been left scrambling to find routes into the downtown from other areas of the city.