Bridges re-opened in Mill Creek ravine after rehab work
Five wooden pedestrian bridges in Edmonton's Mill Creek ravine were officially opened Friday after undergoing replacement or repair work.
The $7.7 million project was started in October 2017 and was to be completed this coming October, but was finished four months early, said city officials.
The bridges, popular with pedestrians and cyclists, are in the ravine park south of 76th Avenue, near the Ritchie, Hazeldean and Avonmore neighbourhoods.
"We improved the functionality and safety of these bridges while keeping the look and the feel of the original design," Sam El Mohtar, director of transportation infrastructure deliver, said Friday.
"Twenty to 25 per cent of the original structures of 1902 were re-used in the rehab and replacement of these trestle bridges," he said.
"Today we are seeing the beautiful product on budget and four months ahead of schedule."
The city consulted with residents before the work was started and that's where the idea to re-use some of the original material came from, said El Mohtar.
"We listened to the residents and this is what they wanted," he said. "This is a proud moment for all of us."
The project involved repairing two trestle bridges and replacing one trestle bridge and two glulam bridges. Glulam is a beam made up of wood strips glued together.
As part of the work, the bridge decks were widened to accommodate emergency vehicles.
The trestle bridges were originally built in 1902 as part of the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway.
The railway was decommissioned in 1958 and the bridges were converted for pedestrian use after ownership was transferred to the city in the 1970s.
"I think it looks amazing," said Yvonne Ferguson, who was walking her dogs in the ravine. "It's more of a natural look, using wood."
"It fits in with the nature of the valley and the ravines," said her husband, Norman Laflamme. "The construction of it is really well done."
"This looks pretty good. It looks well reinforced," said Clay Lowe, who lives in King Edward Park.
He uses the pedestrian bridges often while riding his bicycle through the ravine.
Some trail work and landscaping around the bridges still needs to be done and should be completed over the next week, said city officials.
