ATHABASCA – Three years after it was initially closed due to fears about safety, construction on the new Colinton Bridge has started.
In a March 28 post, Athabasca County confirmed the project was starting April 1, with construction of the bridge expected to be finished before Halloween.
“What I’m hearing is that it’s about time,” said Coun. Natasha Kapitaniuk, who lives in the hamlet of Colinton.
“I give a lot of credit to the different administrative groups that have worked on this project through the last few years, and to council for not giving up hope that we could still try and have it funded outside the municipal coffers.”
The desire to have the project paid for through provincial grants ended up delaying the start of the new bridge, after the county was denied a Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) grant two years in a row.
Since STIP grants can’t be used for already completed work, the county was stuck between starting the project on its own dime, and trying to maximize the work they could do in other areas by having the province pay for it. Ultimately, councillors voted to move ahead with the replacement out of pocket.
“I don’t think anyone regrets trying, and I don’t think I personally would make that choice different in the future. Each (bridge file) is different, and the province will always have a different amount of money they can give out.”
The Colinton Bridge connects the hamlet to the southern portion of the Town of Athabasca along Range Road 222A, and is a quicker route into town than backtracking to Highway 2. In the three years the bridge has been down, community members have been vocal about the issues the route has caused, including increased bus times for Aspen View students, and delays during medical emergencies.
Athabasca County started the engineering of a new bridge in 2023, and the old bridge was decommissioned in 2024, when the creek banks were restabilized as well. All the work is being done in compliance with the latest edition of Alberta Environments Code of Practice for Watercourse Crossings.
The project is expected to cost $2.1 million in total, which will be funded through county reserves and the tax levy. No grant funding was received for the project.
“I hope everybody continually has patience as we look at repairing aging infrastructure and doing our best to keep the level of service where people deserve it,” said Kapitaniuk.
