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Over the last several months, the company — which employs about 20 people at its plant just outside the city — has been manufacturing components from huge sheets of steel, some up to 15 metres long, supplied by the local fabricator Supreme Steel.

Metal Connection started its part of the project last July. In the coming weeks, the components it fabricated will be bolted together by crews on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. DeCorby said the firm’s work is about three-quarters complete.

The new Traffic Bridge, as well as the north commuter bridge, are being built by Graham Commuter Partners — a consortium of eight local, national and international firms — as a $497.7 million build and maintain public-private partnership.

The old bridge, which opened 110 years ago, was deemed unsafe and permanently closed in 2010; demolition began in 2012 and wrapped up last year. Work on its visually-similar replacement began in the fall of 2016.

As DeCorby and Boulanger work to deliver the last of their components, the bridge will begin to take shape. Graham Commuter Partners has said work on it and the north commuter bridge is expected to wrap up by October 2018.

Besides looking forward to seeing their company’s work on display in the heart of the city, DeCorby and Boulanger said they are glad the steel contracts were awarded to local companies — something, they said, that is never guaranteed.

“There’s a lot of competition from companies outside the province,” DeCorby said. “We hope the City of Saskatoon and all levels of government (continue hiring) companies operating within Saskatchewan that are hiring local employees and paying taxes here.”

amacpherson@postmedia.com

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