Medicine Hat Police Service regularly catches people speeding through the construction zone on the Highway One bridge over the South Saskatchewan River.--NEWS PHOTO MATT DUGUID

PEGGY REVELL
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Medicine Hat motorists haven't been heeding construction zone speed limits since construction to replace the westbound Trans-Canada Highway bridge over the South Saskatchewan River began last fall.
"It appears that the average speed is about 70 km/h in the posted 50 zone," said Cst. Stacey Kesler about what Medicine Hat Police have observed on the eastbound bridge that has been turned into a four-lane crossing for east- and west-bound motorists while the demolition and rebuilding of the westbound bridge takes place.
Following a complaint about excessive speeding in the construction area last week, officers went out and issued 45 tickets for speeding in a construction zone over a two-day period, he said.
"So we're trying to have high visibility enforcement up there, in an attempt to deter poor driving behaviour and apprehend the violators," he said, stressing that drivers need to slow down to ensure the safety of other motorists and construction workers.
Speeding isn't the only traffic issue being seen at the construction site.
"Because the width of the bridge has been narrowed to 6.6 metres, our over-dimensional loads have been causing traffic tie-ups," said Cst. Kesler, noting that if there is an over-dimensional load leaving from Medicine Hat's southwest industrial area and travelling westbound on Highway 1, they're required to shut down the eastbound lanes of Third Street off-ramp to the bridge.
"So that creates a traffic backlog as well as it backs up traffic almost to Redcliff on some days when we have a large over-dimensional load," he said. So far this year, there have been five over-dimensional loads come through.
Backlog also occurs two or three times a week as concrete girders for the bridge arrive here from Edmonton, requiring that traffic be shut down on the westbound lane at Highway 1, Cst. Kesler said. This usually is also happening at 2:30-3 p.m., when there's already "higher traffic rates."
Meanwhile, the $19 million construction project remains on schedule for completion in the fall of 2013.
"Things seem to be moving along fairly well and the contractor expects he'll have it done by the completion date," said Alberta Transportation spokesperson, Trent Bancarz.
The project includes the demolition and removal of the existing bridge, which is nearly 60 years old, and the building of a new bridge in its place.
The complicated nature of the project means it is a two-year one, Bancarz said.
"Especially removing the old bridge, that's very intricate work," he said, adding that environmental considerations — such as accommodating fish migration — play a factor in the timeframe for the project.