Bridge Maintenance

During the winter bridges get dirty from the gravel, sand, and anti-icing chemicals that are spread on icy roads. The debris can cause wear on the surface of the bridge and salt corrodes the steel in the bridge.

This program ensures each structure is swept and washed each year. In addition to washing, the City seals the concrete on the bridges to reduce moisture and slows the corrosion process.

Annual bridge and structure cleaning is usually done between the hours of starting at 8:00 p.m. and continuing until 6:00 a.m. the following morning. Bridges and structures generally remain open, with detours, while work is being done.

Motorists may be affected during the annual program, however, the Bridge Washing and Sealing Program prolongs the life of our bridges. 

Motorists and pedestrians are reminded to please proceed carefully, obey all detour signs, and watch for work crews in the area. Thank you for your patience, and for allowing extra time when travelling through these areas.

Each structure in the city's inventory is inspected each year. The key goals of the safety inspections is to determine if there is a safety concern with the structure, develop the minor maintenance programs, and identify critical defects that may require additional investigation.  The City also employes a qualified consultant for inspections, which allows for each structure to be inspected on a three year cycle. 

The yearly deck testing program aims to collect detailed testing information on each structure (over a six year cycle) to determine the point the structure is within its lifespan. Once this is determined, various maintenance and rehabilitation scenarios are developed to optimize the life of the structure and minimize the cost impact on residents. The deck testing program is the essential program to determine the long term preservation plans and funding requirements to ensure our Bridges and structures maintain in good condition

The minor maintenance program is completed on an annual basis under the bridges operating budget. The program deals with repairs and maintenance for each structure as determined by the internal and external inspections. The minor repairs include items such as paving, route and crack sealing, concrete patching, repairing settling issues, erosion control at bridges, bridge drainage, impact damages, Hand railing maintenance, and minor joint repairs.

Bridges have a finite lifespan and require rehabilitations to extend the life for future generations. Once a structure has been determined, by the deck testing, to require a major rehabilitation, the city prepares a tender for the design and resident engineering services. The design process is completed with the assistance of the city staff to ensure the design is economical and maintainable. The following year the design is tendered for a contractor to complete the construction of rehabilitation work.

The City of Saskatoon develops and maintains load rating analysis for several bridge/overpass structures located throughout Saskatoon. The city has had consultants prepare load capacity charts to confirm bridge capacity for traffic as per CSA-S6-06 Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code and the provincial non-permit truck configurations. The information is used within the city to development of the Long haul vehicle routes, Pick Up and Delivery Map and assist with the permitting process, to ensure vehicle loads are within safe working parameters for the bridges and structures.