The massive rainfall experienced last weekend didn’t just flood roads, basements and fields — it’s also affected a section of the North Saskatchewan River banks to the point that a popular bridge crossing is now closed.
Following inspections completed Thursday, the City of Edmonton said it was closing the east sidewalk on the High Level Bridge, starting at or around 6 p.m.
Recent heavy rainfall has caused slope instability near the southeast side of the High Level Bridge, above Kinsmen Park.
The city said a section of the slope next to the wooden guardrail has experienced failure, making it unsafe for pedestrians and active mode users.
An additional 30-60 mm of rain is forecast for this weekend. With the ground already saturated and rainfall totals for the month of June well above normal, Environment Canada said additional precipitation will increase the risk of overland flooding, washouts and potential impacts to infrastructure.
As a result, the east sidewalk over the 113-year-old bridge will remain closed until further notice.
Also as a precaution, a portion of the far-left turning lane will be closed on the 109 Street hill, directly after the High Level Bridge.
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Left turns to Saskatchewan Drive and down Walterdale Hill will be maintained. The city said drivers should plan ahead for potential delays.
Pedestrians and active mode users can still cross the High Level Bridge using the west sidewalk.
The next round of rain is forecast to begin Friday evening and carry on through Sunday.
While 30-60 mm of rain amount on its own wouldn’t normally be too concerning, it hasn’t been a normal June.
Edmonton, on average, gets around 70 mm of rain in June — but this year, 203 mm has fallen so far in the city.
It has been the second-wettest June on record for Edmonton and could potentially become the worst ever — the wettest June ever was in 1914, when 216.5 mm was recorded.
A special weather statement issued Wednesday encompassed central Alberta surrounding Edmonton, stretching from Edson and Fox Creek in the west to the Saskatchewan border in the east, and Athabasca and Lac La Biche in the north to Rimbey, Wetaskiwin and the highways 14 and 13 corridors in the south.
Environment Canada said it is still working to determine what areas will be most impacted by the upcoming rainfall.
The city said it will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates as more information becomes available, but relief doesn’t appear to be in sight any time soon.
Another system is also forecast Sunday night into early next week, Environment Canada said, that may bring additional heavy rainfall to vulnerable areas of central Alberta.
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