New bridge into Inglewood delayed due to issues with steel supplier

Construction on the new Ninth Avenue bridge east of Calgary's downtown core intoInglewood has stalled and won't be finished until mid-2021, instead of by the end of this year.

The delayis the result of issues with a steel supplier that had to be replaced and the lag time between that change and getting new material on site, says Evan Fer, the city's project manager for the bridge construction.

"I am happy to report that the progress is going very good, that we are nearly complete,and very soon we will see that steel arrive on site and start to be installed," said Fer.

The $23-million bridge was originally slated to open by the end of this year. Fer said he anticipates it will remain on budget.

In the meantime, traffic can still flow over a temporary bridge into the community, but a portion of the Elbow River pathway will remain closed.

The bridge spans the Elbow River just east of Fort Calgary and serves as a key entry point into Inglewood. The new bridge replaces the oldstructure that was in use for more than 100 years.