were relaxed. Graham Commuter Partners was selected as the contractor, and illustrations of the new bridge were released in October 2015. The new bridge will have four spans instead of the original's five, built on the existing piers which will be reinforced. Construction on the new bridge began in 2016. Deconstruction Demolition of the bridge first began on May 28, 2012. The pedestrian access ramp on the south side of the bridge was removed first to enable load testing on the piers. Work began to tear down the first span on the east bank of the river on October 12, 2012. By October 18th, the first span had been severed from the rest of the bridge. On January 10, 2016, two spans of the bridge were imploded. The northernmost span was removed by explosives on February 7. The final span of the original bridge was torn down by machinery on November 17, 2016. Completion The replacement bridge was scheduled to be opened in the fall of 2018. In late April, 2017, the replacement bridge was half complete. City officials warned thrill-seekers that construction made the water near the bridge extra hazardous. The new bridge was completed on time and had a public opening ceremony on October 2, 2018. Vehicular traffic was allowed as of October 3, one day after the opening of the Chief Mistawasis Bridge at the north end of Saskatoon. See also List of bridges in Canada List of bridges References External links Traffic Bridge Transportation Needs Assessment For Saskatoon drivers, what goes around comes around Divers Seek Century Old River Wreck Bridges completed in 1907 Bridges in Saskatoon Road bridges in Saskatchewan Parker truss bridges in Canada