City of Edmonton building permit values increased about 40 per cent for the first five months of 2013, hitting $1.90 billion. That figure is also up 67 per cent compared to the city's five-year average for the same period.
New work includes a $155 million bridge.
The biggest driver, in terms of percentage increase, for the city in 2013: institutional permits, which totaled about $500 million from January to May.
That said, residential permit values were also up 32 per cent, and cracked $1.06 billion.
Edmonton enjoyed a record month for permit values in March 2013, with the issuance of permits for $845.3 million in new construction in that month alone.
The downside in the city: industrial permit values are down about 82 per cent from 2012.
After months of prep work, the City of Edmonton started construction in early July on the new $155 million Walterdale Bridge.
The arch bridge will carry three lanes of northbound traffic as well as cyclists and pedestrians. It will replace the existing two-lane, century old bridge that currently carries northbound commuters into the core.
The existing bridge will remain open during the 30-month construction phase for the new bridge, with some temporary closures or partial closures of connecting roads during the construction process.
