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The new pedestrian bridge is now open.
The new Smith Crossing Pedestrian Bridge opened on September 19, 2023. Construction on the project began on November 22, 2022.
Located along 23 Avenue, the bridge provides access to the MacTaggart and Larch Sanctuaries within the river valley system. The previous bridge was built in the early 1900s and had reached the end of its service life.
Construction of the new bridge is underway. The steel bridge truss structure is being fabricated off site and will be installed in May. Demolition of the original bridge and installation of the bridge foundations were completed in the winter.
See the Spring Project Update
The new bridge is going in the same location as the original bridge, which will reduce impact on the existing vegetation and better tie into the existing trail network. Once construction has been completed, the site will be restored to match the surrounding natural areas of the Whitemud Creek ravine.
See the Questions and Answers for more information.
An online information session was held on November 3, 2022 to provide details about the construction work.
An online information session was held on Thursday May 20, 2021 to provide details about the preliminary design of the pedestrian bridge replacement. Topics discussed include:
If you were unable to attend, please watch the presentation recording and review from the event.
Stakeholder and public engagement has been ongoing since the start of this project. Identified external stakeholders, such as community leagues, recreation groups and environmental groups, were sent a letter introducing the project.
This letter also invited stakeholders to a one-on-one virtual meeting with the project team to capture information regarding the bridge experience, local knowledge about the site, preferred bridge experience, and comments about the environment as per the requirements of the River Valley Bylaw 7188.
An online public survey captured additional information on the same topics.
Findings from the public survey have been compiled in a What We Heard Report. The key themes about the bridge and site were:
Keep the bridge in the same location
The bridge must fit into the site (size, location, aesthetics), complement the natural site, and be a similar width
The historic character of the bridge is important
Construction impacts to the natural environment must be minimized
Connections to adjacent neighbourhoods are important
Year round access to the creek is important (including kayaking, canoeing)
Some additional amenities, such as interpretive signage and seating, were identified as desirable
Many wildlife sightings occur around the bridge and include a variety of species including but not limited to: squirrels, beaver, deer, muskrat, moose, rabbits, and numerous birds
Photography, for weddings, family gatherings and graduations, was identified as the most frequently seen activity on the bridge
All comments will be considered in the preliminary design of the Smith Crossing Bridge replacement. A preliminary design of the bridge and site will be presented to the public in late spring 2021.
A What We Did response to What We Heard comments from this survey will be provided.
