Evening Whoop-Up Drive commute gets a boost as bridge work balances safety and timing

Today, the City of Lethbridge is providing two significant updates on the Whoop-Up Drive bridge work:

1. The implementation of peak hour lane changes to address ongoing congestion
2. Further explaining why the bridge work cannot happen 24 hours a day

Peak hour lane changes

Peak hour lane changes will address significant congestion on Whoop-Up Drive. Ongoing inspections confirm it is now safe to move forward with this change.

Beginning Wednesday, August 20, one eastbound lane will open to westbound traffic, across the Whoop-Up bridge, from 2 – 8 p.m. This will allow a higher volume of westbound traffic to cross the bridge during the busy afternoon and evening commute. During these hours, eastbound traffic across the bridge is reduced to one lane.

“This change allows us to address congestion during the busiest hours of the day,” says Jason Drenth, Acting Director of Infrastructure. “We’ll have two westbound lanes open for the evening commute, and two eastbound lanes for morning commuters coming from the west side.”

The lane changes are done manually, so there will be more workers on the bridge to move the orange pylons. Motorists are asked to drive with care and obey the reduced speed limits to keep workers safe.

The zipper merges on westbound Whoop-Up Drive will remain in place during non-peak hours. See this video for reminders on how to properly navigate through a zipper merge.

Peak hour lane changes will remain until two-way lanes open, in both directions, in early September. 

Heavy trucks - excluding regular pickups - are still not allowed to travel westbound on Whoop-Up Drive for the time being.

Live traffic cameras are available online to help motorists monitor their route including both Whoop-Up Drive and Highway 3.

Why isn’t the bridge work happening 24 hours a day?

Bridge repairs aren’t a 24/7 operation for a few reasons.

The key factor is curing time. High-strength concrete needs to sit undisturbed, often for days, to properly harden. Rushing this process can lead to micro-cracks and weaken the structure, compromising its durability. Environmental conditions like temperature and humidity also need close monitoring to prevent shrinkage or other issues.

So, while it might look like nothing’s happening on-site, critical curing processes are quietly at work. In construction, patience and precision matter far more than speed when it comes to long-term strength and safety.

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