Quote:
Originally Posted by bulliver
Great pictures.
What is up with the railway bridge?
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This one?
IMG_9123 by
Echoes Saskatoon, on Flickr
It's known as the Traffic Bridge, and was the first river crossing constructed for non-train traffic over the South Saskatchewan River at
Saskatoon, opening in 1907. The amalgamation of the three communities of Nutana (east bank), Riversdale, and
Saskatoon (west bank) to form the City of
Saskatoon in 1906 was conditional upon the crossing being constructed. Approval of funding was one of the first acts of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly.
It's such an integral part of the story of
Saskatoon. But, successive City Councils deferred maintenance of the bridge until it deteriorated to the point that it was permanently closed to traffic in 2010. There were vigorous debates about the future of the crossing following its closure - rebuild as a replica with standard width traffic lanes and proper walking and biking paths? as a modern landmark bridge? make it for bikes and pedestrians only?
In the end, the faux heritage replica - accommodating motor vehicle traffic - was chosen (the worst of the options in my opinion), and its replacement is now under construction.
Pictured is the last original span left standing. It will be demolished next month.