Edmonton’s Excessive Avenue space is bracing itself for yet one more bridge closure impacting their backside line.
A decade in the past, it was the two-year-long 102 Avenue bridge closure. Now, one other bridge simply down that very same highway is predicted to be closed for nearly as lengthy.
The Wellington Bridge, simply to the west of the previous Royal Alberta Museum web site on 102 Avenue within the Glenora space, was shut down Monday to site visitors in each instructions as metropolis development crews put together to tear it down.
Town expects it should stay closed till the top of 2026.
The bridge is being changed as a result of the present span is reaching the top of its service life. In keeping with the town, the brand new design will enhance accessibility and security with a shared pathway between pedestrians and cyclists, limitations and handrails.
However some companies alongside 124 Avenue and within the Excessive Avenue space are fearful a couple of decline in buyer site visitors and their fears will not be unfounded — they stated that’s what occurred a decade in the past.
“We now have been by means of one thing comparable when the (102 Avenue) bridge that was proper beside us closed and it undoubtedly impacted site visitors,” stated Cloud 9 Pajamas co-owner Miranda Heslip.
“We now have information on that — that it actually did have an effect on gross sales and site visitors,” she stated.
Work to exchange the 102 Avenue bridge over Groat Highway started in July 2014, and was set to final till September 2015. Nevertheless, three of the girders buckled in March 2015, shutting down Groat Highway for weeks and pushing again the opening of the challenge. The brand new $32-million bridge lastly opened in the summertime of 2016.
“In these years that it was closed, we actually noticed a major lower,” Heslip stated.
Some companies didn’t survive that closure.
Heslip fears development on the following closest route — Stony Plain Highway, a couple of blocks north — will compound the ache this time round.
“I’m actually fearful in regards to the site visitors that’s going to be coming right down to this space.”
Heslip stated she discovered in regards to the bridge closure final week and desires space companies had been given extra discover from the Metropolis of Edmonton so they might have adjusted their staffing and orders upfront.
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“We did assume that it was going to be just a little bit additional sooner or later and allow us to get just a little bit extra of a Christmas season in. So the truth that it’s closed right here in September was undoubtedly an enormous shock to us,” she stated.
She stated the vacation season is essential for lots of the small companies within the space.
“Going right into a Christmas season, it simply impacts what we might do otherwise and we didn’t have the discover to essentially plan that manner.”
Excessive Avenue companies say they’ve seen how the Valley Line West LRT development has damage close by companies and worry they’re subsequent to face hardships.
“It looks like it’s one battle after one other generally after popping out of COVID,” stated Natalie Charlton, a accomplice in a mother-and-daughter boutique known as Store Harrow, which sells girls’s garments, items and equipment.
“We’re all simply beginning to acquire momentum once more. We’re heading into the vacation season — which may very well be a good time of the 12 months for us — However now with the development happening, we’re undecided how that’s going to have an effect on us.”
Her daughter began the store that includes vintage-inspired and Canadian-made manufacturers in 2017 from her basement in Hinton, and two years later they expanded to a store to Edmonton’s Excessive Avenue space.
Charlton stated they’re simply certainly one of many entrepreneurs and companies house owners who’ve put all of it on the road to supply one thing distinctive.
“We don’t have the massive model promoting us. We don’t produce other areas in several components of the town. We’re right here. Most of us are small, independents. So everyone that comes by means of our door is of worth to us as a enterprise.
“We create a clientele. We get to know our prospects. We’re to serve. And when individuals can’t get to us, it actually makes successful on small enterprise.”
Space companies are assembly this week to plan how they will work collectively to drive extra total site visitors to the world, Heslip stated.
“We’re not the one space right here that’s having points with development in entrance of their companies, so it’s simply actually reminding individuals to assist the companies which might be going by means of robust instances when development is in entrance of their enterprise,” Heslip stated, in reference to the Valley Line West LRT development a pair blocks north on 104 Avenue close to 124 Avenue.
She understands the development work has to occur and appreciates the town’s efforts to maintain Edmonton maintained and exquisite, however can’t assist however fear in regards to the subsequent two years.
Charlton hopes individuals will nonetheless make an effort to buy native.
“The development goes to go ahead. We’re not going to have the ability to cease that. However I’m actually hoping that folks will nonetheless take some time to return out and assist us,” Charlton stated.
“Small enterprise is essential. These little boutique areas are form of what create downtown cores… I simply hope individuals will do their greatest to get right here.”
That is the second bridge heading into downtown to be closed for restore work in latest months, and certainly one of three total carrying site visitors out and in of downtown set to endure development at completely different factors in 2025.
In July, a part of the Low Stage Bridge was closed to northbound automobiles and site visitors flows rerouted so work might be executed to repair the southbound bridge.
Extra minor Dawson Bridge restore work within the river valley can also be deliberate, however set to wrap up by the top of 2025. Town stated that bridge will solely have weekend or in a single day closures, to keep away from overlap with any delays on the Low Stage.
It isn’t simply drivers heading downtown that have site visitors woes in Edmonton.
On the south aspect, the Rainbow Valley Bridges on Whitemud Driver have additionally been present process development upgrades for the previous two years as a part of the close by Terwillegar Drive expressway improve.
Development on the Whitemud Drive Rainbow Valley bridges, together with a brand new pedestrian bridge, on Friday, August 8, 2025.
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Town says development on Wellington Bridge has been scheduled to align with the LRT on Stony Plain Highway to attenuate disruption.
Drivers headed in the direction of downtown from the west finish are inspired to detour by at 142 Avenue and use 107 Avenue. There, they will flip south once more at 124 Avenue to get to Jasper Avenue or proceed on 107th in the direction of the downtown core.
To enhance site visitors stream throughout the Wellington Bridge development, the town stated parking shall be prohibited always on the northbound aspect of 124 Avenue , between Jasper Avenue and 102 Avenue — and between 102 Avenue and 107 Avenue, will probably be prohibited from 3:30 – 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Drivers can even use Groat Highway or use Stony Plain Highway, nevertheless there may be nonetheless heavy Valley Line West LRT development on that route.
Pedestrians and cyclists can detour by means of the Glenora neighbourhood.
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