A 6th Avenue East bridge repair project that was treated as urgent during last year’s budget talks will not go to construction until 2027, after a detailed inspection found both viaduct structures need work.
Prince Albert Executive Committee voted Monday to send the project to an upcoming council meeting after a lengthy debate over timing, cost and why the full extent of the damage was not identified earlier.
The project involves the 6th Avenue East viaduct over the Carlton Trail Railway tracks. City reports refer to the site as two viaduct structures, one for southbound traffic and one for northbound traffic.
Operations Manager Mohammad Kraishan told committee WSP Canada completed inspection and testing on both structures in March. The inspection found failing and leaking expansion joints, medium to severe deterioration on girder ends, damage to abutment bearing seats, concrete problems on barriers and signs that the waterproofing membrane has failed.
Kraishan said the recommended option is to eliminate the expansion joints and repair the deteriorated girder ends. The strategy would provide the longest service life and best long-term value for the City, he said.
Construction is now recommended for 2027, with design work to be completed in 2026. Kraishan said the structures are safe to use until then.
“We work with the consultant to make sure that the structures are safe to operate in the meantime,” Kraishan told committee.
An aerial image from the July 6 Executive Committee agenda package shows the southbound and northbound 6th Avenue East viaduct structures over the Carlton Trail Railway tracks. The City is recommending rehabilitation work on both structures in 2027.
The City has already approved $1 million in capital funding for the project, along with $150,000 in the operating budget for inspection and consulting work. Administration is also asking that an additional $920,000 for the northbound structure be considered during 2027 budget talks.
The debate also revived questions raised during the 2026 budget process last november. At that time, the work was focused on one side of the viaduct, while administration said further investigation was still needed to determine the full extent of the damage. Monday’s report said a more detailed inspection by WSP Canada later found both structures need rehabilitation, but can remain open until 2027 with monitoring and minor maintenance.
Kraishan said doing both structures in the same construction season could save up to $110,000 because a contractor would only have to mobilize once. However, he also said inflation and market conditions remain risks.
Coun. Dawn Kilmer asked whether the work would take 14 weeks per side. Kraishan said each side would be done separately so traffic can continue using 6th Avenue East. He confirmed the full project would take about 28 weeks, with a possible construction window from May to October.
Several councillors focused on how the project changed from a 2026 repair on one structure to a 2027 project involving both.
Mayor Bill Powalinsky said councillors need a clear explanation for residents who heard last year that the work was urgent.
“I need to know how we should respond to this in a way that’s going to be reasonable and transparent,” Powalinsky said.
Public Works Director Jeff Da Silva said the fall inspection was done internally and visually, while the March inspection was completed by an external consultant with more bridge experience. He said the City brought the project forward during budget talks because staff were trying to manage risk based on what they knew at the time.
“In the fall we were presenting council a direction in order to try to manage that risk for the structure, knowing that we had to get somebody in to give us more detailed feedback,” Da Silva said.
Coun. Daniel Brown said he was frustrated the work was not completed this year after council approved the money.
“To say I’m disappointed that this didn’t get done this year was a huge understatement,” Brown said.
Brown also questioned where the City would find the additional $920,000 and said he was not convinced the project would happen next year.
Coun. Darren Solomon said budgets are about priorities, and council told taxpayers last year that the project had to be done.
“We tell our taxpayers we need to do this, and you need to give us a million dollars, and then to have it sit in our bank account for a year is not a good look,” Solomon said.
Coun. Bryce Laewetz also questioned how the second structure was not identified earlier if the damage is significant enough to require similar work. He said he would not support asking taxpayers for another $920,000 or $1 million for the project during budget deliberations.
“If this second side is going to go ahead, in my opinion, we need to find it somewhere else,” Laewetz said.
Kilmer said she would support the recommendation and said council would still have the budget debate later. She also asked administration about the Urban Highway Connector Program and how provincial funding applications work.
Coun. Blake Edwards also asked whether provincial funding could be used because 6th Avenue is a continuation of the highway corridor.
Administration said the bridge structure itself is not eligible for provincial funding, but the City will look to the Urban Highway Connector Program for possible shared costs on paving work.
The recommendation passed at Executive Committee and will go to an upcoming regular council meeting for approval.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
