More than 20,000 vehicles cross the Stony Plain Road bridge over Groat Road every day... but soon, those drivers will need to find an alternate route between Edmonton’s west end and downtown.

Starting Sunday, Stony Plain Road will be closed from 129th Street and 131st Street for four months while crews rehabilitate the bridge surface.

Constructed in the 1950s, the bridge hasn’t had any major repairs since 1991.

"It’s time for this bridge to be rehabilitated," said Byron Nicholson, the director of special projects for the city. "The scope of work basically is to take off the top of the concrete and get rid of all the concrete that's been rotted away by the salt and things like that ... over the years and replace it with a new top."

Nicholson said a complete closure is necessary because the bridge is too narrow to allow for work to be done on a lane-by-lane basis.

"This is one of those bridges that is just too narrow to do one lane at a time," Nicholson said Wednesday.

"Our plan is just to get in and get out in the shortest amount of time."

During repair work, Nicholson suggests that drivers detour via 107th or 111th Avenue, and added that 102nd Avenue is also available but sees heavy traffic already.

He also recommends that drivers give themselves a little extra time for their daily commute.

The scheduled bridge closure has some nearby business owners concerned. Eugene Fedorkiw and his wife own Vi's for Pies on the western side of the Stony Plain bridge. He said they are bracing for a tough summer.

"We are worried because it’s the main artery. A lot of traffic flows by our business every day along Stony Plain Road — and when the bridge is shut down, that cuts us off, literally, from the downtown area," said Fedorkiw.

"I would like to [have been] consulted by the city, "said Fedorkiw. "I would suggest shutting down two lanes of the bridge and working on the other side."

On the other side of the bridge, Flowers by Merle unsuccessfully petitioned the city to delay the closure until after Mother's Day — one of their busiest days of the year.

"Customers who will just happen to drive by and see our sign, and think ‘Oh, I need some flowers for my mom’... they won't see that if they're not driving by," said employee Janel Prestage.

Prestage is also worried that closing the road will make people avoid the area completely.

But Nicholson said businesses will on both sides of the bridge will be staying open during the construction — however, they will only be accessible from their respective side of the bridge.

A free shuttle bus service will help get area residents get to their homes. And one sidewalk across the bridge will remain open, except for occasional closures.

The scheduled $4 million rehabilitation project is expected to extend the bridge's life by another 20 years.