More lane reductions coming to Rainbow Valley Bridge section of Whitemud Drive

Drivers who pass through the construction that’s been ongoing for a year at the Rainbow Valley Bridge section of Whitemud Drive may soon experience more delays.

Whitemud Drive over the south Edmonton bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction, starting on Thursday, Feb. 20, and ending on Friday, Feb. 28.

The traffic modification will only be in place overnight, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends.

Traffic across the valley is already reduced to two lanes from three in each direction, due to the north (westbound traffic) bridge deck having been closed for a year as part of a larger project to upgrade the nearby Terwillegar Drive.

In February 2024, the city began working on that bridge and moved all traffic over to the other deck with two lanes flowing in each direction. Once the north bridge work is complete, the process will switch sides and upgrades will begin on the south bridge.

The City of Edmonton said the week of overnight lane closures are to accommodate a planned girder lift for the widening of the south (eastbound traffic) Rainbow Valley Bridge and subsequent work.

One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction and ramps connecting Whitemud and Terwillegar drives will remain open, the city said.

The construction is part of Stage 2 of the Terwillegar Drive expansion project.

That work will continue into 2025 and includes the widening of the eastbound Rainbow Valley Bridge, work on the 142 Street pedestrian bridge linking the Brookside and Bulyea Heights neighbourhoods, along with construction of a new pedestrian bridge next to the Rainbow Valley Bridge.

The city said Edmonton police will be in the area to reinforce the reduced 60 km/h speed limit during the overnight closures.

The Terwillegar Drive expressway expansion started in 2021 and is expected to take five years to complete.

The next stage of the project includes further road widening, upgrades to the Terwillegar Drive and Anthony Henday Drive interchanges and adding dedicated transit lanes and a shared-use path.