Saskatoon’s University Bridge fully reopened to traffic, pedestrians

Just over a week after a fire closed Saskatoon’s University Bridge, the city has announced the key traffic route fully reopened to traffic on Tuesday.

The bridge was forced to close after a fire underneath it damaged a sewer line.

The Jan. 20 fire that started in a homeless encampment caused a sewer pipe to melt and spill 1.5 million litres (330,000 gallons) of raw sewerage into the South Saskatchewan River. A temporary 500-metre bypass line was set up to stop this on Jan. 21.

The South Saskatchewan River is used for the drinking water system in the Humboldt-Wakaw and the One Arrow First Nation.

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The city said that the walkway on the north side of the bridge and the walkway under the far west end of the bridge have also reopened, as well as the Meewasin Trail underneath the west side of the bridge.

The city added that the Meewasin Trail underneath the east side of the bridge and trails further down the bank are closed for additional work to take place this spring.

Once the snow and ice have melted, that work would include treating the area to eliminate surface bacteria, the city said, and the site will then undergo a thorough environmental reassessment by the Ministry of Environment, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Water Security Agency and the City of Saskatoon.

— with files from Shane Clausing, 650 CKOM

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