Walterdale Bridge
{{short description|Road bridge in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada}}
{{Infobox bridge
| fetchwikidata = coordinates
| bridge_name = Walterdale Bridge
| image = Walterdale bridge over the North Saskatchewan river in winter, Edmonton, Alberta.jpg
| image_size = 400
| caption = The new Walterdale Bridge in January 2025
| official_name = Walterdale Bridge
| named_for = John Walter
| carries = 105 Street northbound, pedestrian walkways
| crosses = North Saskatchewan River
| locale = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| maint = City of Edmonton
| length = {{convert|230|m|ft|abbr=on}}[http://www.dialogdesign.ca/projects/walterdale-bridge-replacement/ Walterdale Bridge - The archway]. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
| mainspan = {{convert|206|m|ft|abbr=on}}{{cite web | url=https://www.pedelta.com/new-walterdale-bridge-p-66-en | title=New Walterdale Bridge }}
| open = September 29, 2017
| traffic = 29,885 (2023){{cite web | title=AAWDT | website=Google Docs | url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_W1_jGlAwSFDgRQmvakx4wJ8sive8sjZJFwtCyvS_3U/edit#gid=0 | access-date=August 8, 2024}}
}}
{{Infobox bridge
| bridge_name = (Previous) Walterdale Bridge
| image = Walterdale_bridge_from_below.jpg
| caption = The old Walterdale Bridge in 2007
| official_name = Walterdale Bridge (1967–2017)
| named_for = John Walter
| other_name = {{ublist|Fifth Street Bridge (1913–1914)|105th Street Bridge (1914–1967)}}
| carries = 105 Street northbound, pedestrian walkway
| crosses = North Saskatchewan River
| locale = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| maint = City of Edmonton
| design = Steel truss with steel grating deck
| length = {{convert|214.2|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| open = 1913
| closed = 2017
| replaced_by = New Walterdale Bridge
}}
The Walterdale Bridge is a through arch bridge across the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It replaced the previous Walterdale Bridge in 2017. The new bridge has three lanes for northbound vehicular traffic and improved pedestrian and cyclist crossings.
Old Walterdale Bridge (1913–2017)
The previous Walterdale Bridge (formerly called the 105 Street Bridge, renamed in 1967){{cite book |author1=Edmonton Historical Board, City of Edmonton |title=Naming Edmonton: From Ada to Zoie |date=2004 |publisher=University of Alberta Press |isbn=0-88864-423-X |page=327 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JWWo___pkQUC&pg=PA327}} was a steel grating-decked truss bridge. It was built in 1913 by the Dominion Bridge Company and was named after John Walter, an early settler who ran a ferry at this approximate location.{{cite book|author=Ivany, Kathryn|year=2004|title=Historic Walks of Edmonton|publisher=Red Deer Press, Calgary|pages=25–31|isbn=0889952981}} The neighbourhood Walterdale at this location was also named after John Walter.{{cite web | url=http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9187 | title=John Walter Historic Area | publisher=Parks Canada | accessdate=April 25, 2014}}
Demolition of the 1913 bridge began in October 2017 after the decking, sidewalks, and utilities had been removed, and was completed by the end of that year.{{cite news|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3815851/piece-of-edmonton-history-ending-with-demolition-of-old-walterdale-bridge/|title=Piece of Edmonton history ends with demolition of old Walterdale Bridge|last1=Kornik|first1=Slav|last2=Ramsey|first2=Caley|publisher=Global News|date=October 20, 2017|accessdate=December 11, 2020}}
Replacement bridge (2017–present)
Planning for the replacement of the 1913 Walterdale Bridge began over a decade before construction on the new bridge started. In 2001, an Edmonton City Council committee rejected a $190-million proposal for a tunnel under Saskatchewan Drive to directly connect the new bridge to Gateway Boulevard.{{cite news |last1=Zabjek |first1=Alexandra |title=Walterdale Bridge to be rebuilt under simplified plan |work=Edmonton Journal |date=April 8, 2009 |page=B3 |id={{ProQuest|2403917139}}}} Planners considered both a four-lane one-way bridge and a five-lane bridge with a single southbound lane to connect the area to Kinsmen Park.
Construction began on a replacement bridge in early 2013 and was scheduled to be completed in late 2015; however, it did not open (two lanes only) until September 18, 2017. The contractor faced over $10 million in penalties for the delay. The new bridge has three lanes for northbound vehicular traffic and improved pedestrian and cyclist crossings. Roadway and trail links north and south of the bridge were partially complete, and the pedestrian access and all lanes opened on September 29, 2017.{{cite web|last1=Kornik|first1=Slav|title=Edmonton pedestrians can now use new Walterdale Bridge|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3776582/edmonton-pedestrians-can-now-use-new-walterdale-bridge/|website=Global News|accessdate=September 30, 2017|language=en|date=September 29, 2017}}
The new bridge is east of the original bridge site, and is supported by concrete thrust blocks on the banks of the river, eliminating the need for piers. The arches are {{convert|56|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall.{{Cite web|title = Walterdale Bridge Features :: City of Edmonton|url = http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/road_projects/walterdale-bridge-features.aspx|accessdate = October 19, 2015|publisher = City of Edmonton|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706213241/http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/road_projects/walterdale-bridge-features.aspx |archivedate=July 6, 2014}}
Gallery
File:Walterdale Bridge, Edmonton, Alberta (1977).jpg|Walterdale Bridge (1977)
File:Walterdale Bridge Edmonton Winter2013.jpg|Old Walterdale Bridge with early work for new one barely visible on the banks (March 2013).
File:105st bridge may 2016 (27011756265).jpg|The replacement bridge under construction, photo from direction of water (May 2016).
File:Construction of the new Walterdale Bridge and side projects - Edmonton, Canada (Date unknown).png|Construction crew at work under the new bridge, photo taken from the foot and cycle path (Date unknown).
File:Near finished structure of new Walterdale Bridge with surrounding city of Edmonton, Canada (Sept -2016).jpg|Cranes and nearly finished structure of new bridge with surroundings
(September 7, 2016).
File:Walterdale May 2017.jpg|Old and new Walterdale bridges (May 25, 2017)
See also
References
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{{s-bef|rows=2|before=High Level Bridge}}
{{s-ttl|title=Bridge across the
North Saskatchewan River}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=James MacDonald Bridge}}
{{s-ttl|title=Road bridge across the
North Saskatchewan River}}
{{end}}
Category:Road bridges in Alberta