The Town of Drumheller, in conjunction with Wheatland County, held information sessions for residents in the communities of Dalum and Wayne affected by the replacement of Bridge 11 on Highway 10X on Thursday, June 23 and Tuesday, June 28.
It was reported in the June 22 edition of the Mail the information sessions would provide information to impacted residents regarding the upcoming construction and pending detours as no detour bridge will be installed due to “prohibitive costs” and “limited traffic.”
“There were concerns about evacuation routes regarding possible high-water events, traffic rerouting to alternate routes,” Town of Drumheller Director of Infrastructure Services Dave Brett told the Mail.
Other concerns brought up by residents included when the other bridges along Highway 10X are expected to be replaced, though this information was not available.
Six residents attended the information session in Wayne on June 23, along with Town staff and Councillor Tom Zariski. A total of 14 residents also attended the information session in Dalum on June 28; Drumheller Councillor Patrick Kolafa, Wheatland County Division 7 Councillor Rick Laursen, and Wheatland County Transportation and Agriculture general manager Brad Bullock were also in attendance.
Bridge 11 is the final bridge of the 11 Bridges to Wayne on Highway 10X and has been under a three tonne weight restriction since 2018 due to deteriorating conditions.
Along with replacing the bridge, the bridge will also need to be built 1.5 metres higher to accommodate a higher design flow rate for the Rosebud River, which was set by the province. Mr. Brett says it is expected the bridge will be closed for approximately one year to complete construction.
“Alberta Transportation guidelines have changed a lot since Bridge 11 was initially constructed,” Mr. Brett says. “This bridge, similar to Bridge 4, will be a one-lane crossing and will handle heavier weight and additional traffic capacity.”
Mr. Brett explains the new bridge will be able to accommodate an 80 tonne load, equivalent to a normal gravel truck.
The bridge replacement has a budget of $3.2 million, with the Alberta government funding about 75 per cent of the project through the Strategic Transport Infrastructure Program - Local Road Bridge (STIP-LRB) program; the remaining 25 per cent portion will be funded by a 21 per cent contribution from the Town of Drumheller, and a four per cent contribution from Wheatland County.
