Capital Line South LRT Extension: Girder Installation Milestone Over Blackmud Creek

Progress continues on the Capital Line South LRT Extension in Edmonton, Alberta, and Ratio Structural Engineering Inc. is proud to have played a part in this milestone alongside the City of Edmonton and Ledcor.

Confirming the Bridge Could Carry the Load

Before the new LRT bridge girders could be lifted into place over Blackmud Creek, our team carried out a load evaluation of the existing BMC bridge. The purpose of this assessment was to confirm that the existing structure could safely support the construction loads required for the lift, including the weight of the girders themselves and the demands placed on the bridge by the lifting equipment and sequencing.

This type of evaluation is a critical, often unseen step in bridge construction. Before any heavy lift takes place, the supporting structure needs to be verified against loading conditions it was not necessarily designed for originally, temporary construction loads that can differ significantly from the in service loads a bridge is built to carry. Confirming this in advance protects both the existing structure and the safety of the lift itself.

With that assessment complete, crews were able to move ahead with installing the girders, one of the most significant steps yet in bringing this LRT bridge to completion.

What Comes Next

This work paves the way for the next stages of construction, including forming, reinforcement, and pouring the bridge deck, as the extension continues to take shape from Century Park to just north of Ellerslie Road.

Recognizing the Partnership

It is a privilege to contribute to infrastructure of this scale, and we are grateful for the continued trust and collaboration of the City of Edmonton and Ledcor teams.

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