The bridge is an important link in the city transportation system, carrying two traffic lanes northbound into downtown from Gateway Boulevard and 109 Street via Queen Elizabeth Park Road, and Walterdale Hill Road. The existing three-span structural steel truss bridge currently carries two lanes of northbound traffic, along with pedestrians and cyclists on sidewalks on both sides, and a number of utilities across the river. Besides, it is approaching 100 years of age at the end of its useful life. It serves 33,000 vehicles rumble across it daily.
The new Walterdale Bridge offers improved the access to markets and the creation of nearly 400 direct and indirect jobs in 2014. It was important to replace the bridge because it does not have the structural capacity to carry trucks with legal loads and many of the structural steel members of the bridge superstructure are severely corroded. Besides, the new bridge eases the congestion of Walterdale Hill Road and Queen Elizabeth Park Road during morning rush hour.
The bridge over the North Saskatchewan River, with a span of 230 meters between abutment axes, is a double metal arch bridge sloping inwards, from which hangs a 22.40 meter wide deck formed by three lanes for vehicles and a pedestrian walkway on the east side. In addition, the arch supports a footbridge for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists on the west side which is separated from the deck of the bridge by a variable distance ranging from 8.00 to 2.00 meters.
The double arch rises 43 meters above the deck and 55 meters above the river water level. The arches are joined by metal ribs of variable diameter that range from 2.50 meters at the base of the double arch to 1.40 meters at the keystone.
The arc design of the new bridge not only favours the aesthetics of the structure, but also eliminates the need for piers in the riverbed, which facilitates the movement of ice in the river.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- Contract type: Design and construction.
- Infrastructure: The bridge has a span of 230 metres between abutment axes. It is a double metal arch bridge with an inward-slanting arch, from which hangs a 22.4 metre wide deck consisting of three lanes for vehicles and a pedestrian walkway on the east side, and a footbridge for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists on the west side, which is separated from the bridge deck by a variable distance of between 8 and 2 metres.
- Year of project completion: 2016