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One year ago, Oliver and Glenora residents were elated to see a crucial link in the city's transportation network restored, when the new 102 Avenue over Groat Road Bridge entered service. The $32 million replacement project for the 1910-built bridge reestablished the important east-west corridor into and out of the downtown core.
The project had initially set a target opening date for October 2015, but when three 40-tonne steel girders for the deck buckled, completion was pushed back until summer 2016. The concrete replacement structure has a clear span of approximately 100 metres and maintains the four-lane configuration of the old bridge. The north side features a cycle track between the sidewalk and the outside travel line; the south side is also equipped with a sidewalk.
A Google Street View capture of the bridge in 2012 showed the perforated road surface and pink-coloured railings of the bridge. The span was known as the "Singing Bridge" because of the sound emitted when vehicles would pass over the iron grates. The new bridge benefits from a robust asphalt road surface, wider lanes, higher railings, a greater separation between vehicles and pedestrians, and a proper dedicated bicycle lane.
The bridge itself isn't the only major change — the skyline in the background has noticeably evolved as well, with the Pearl on Jasper and J22 adding themselves to Oliver's highrise stock.
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