What’s up under Whoop-Up Drive?

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: lane closures are coming to westbound Whoop-Up Drive this weekend.

Yes, it’s a familiar (and maybe somewhat annoying?) refrain, but it’s also an important one! The scheduled replacement of the bridge coating system is now in full swing.

So… why is this work so important? Simply put: it protects the lifespan of one of our most crucial pieces of local infrastructure. (You can find a LOT more information by clicking the hyperlink above.)

We wanted to provide a robust update on what’s happened so far, what’s happening now and what’s next. To begin, let’s address two questions we hear a lot:

1.    Why are lanes closed when no work is happening on the bridge?

Easy: all the work is happening under (not on) the bridge! The lane closures allow crews to safely hang scaffolding.

2.    What’s with all the weekend lane closures?

This is intentional. Whoop-Up Drive is one of the city’s busiest roadways. To minimize traffic disruptions, we’ve intentionally kept the westbound bridge lane closures to weekends only. There is also a weekday right lane closure extending west of the bridge – that’s for hauling and transporting scaffolding to the west end of the bridge.

The work so far

This extensive project kicked off in May. Crews have been installing scaffolding and hangers under the bridge. The scaffolding will eventually stretch across the entire bridge.

What’s happening now

The bridge is divided into six ‘containment areas’, numbered one-to-six. Crews wrap each area, then remove the old lead‑based paint inside a sealed workspace. Everything - dust, air, water, debris - must be contained and disposed of safely because of the lead.

What’s next

Scaffolding installation will extend westbound weekend lane closures through the June 6-7 weekend. This coming weekend’s closures are:

• 6 a.m. – left westbound lane closes
• Mid-day – closure shifts to the right lane
• By 6 p.m. – all lanes reopen
• At least two westbound lanes remain open at all times

On the weekend of May 30-31, only the westbound right lane will close at 6 a.m. and reopen by 6 p.m. both days. Exact closures for the June 6-7 weekend have not been finalized.

Once the scaffolding is complete, lane closures will end for a three-to-six-week stretch during the coating work. When painting and inspections are complete, the scaffolding is removed from the center outward. Lane closures will resume to allow safe dismantling.

Botterill Bottom Road impact

Containment area one sits at the east end of the bridge, above Botterill Bottom Road. For this section, crews will build the scaffolding from the ground up. When that happens, Botterill Bottom Road will shift to alternating one‑way traffic, controlled by signal lights at each end.

The timing for this work isn’t finalized yet. It depends on how quickly the other containment areas progress. Right now, it’s expected to happen either mid‑to‑late June or early September. We’ll share a firm schedule as soon as it’s confirmed.

We appreciate the community’s patience as we complete this work that keeps Whoop‑Up Drive moving safely!

For Public Inquiries:
Call or chat 311 | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.