CALGARY- It’s been delayed by at least a half a year, but there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel for a new bridge in Calgary.
Traffic is being shut down overnight this weekend to make way for the installation of the Shaganappi pedestrian bridge that will connect Dalhousie to Brentwood.
But unexpected cost overruns meant the project had to be scaled back.
Brandon Eby crosses over Shaganappi Trail on a regular basis. He uses the intersection by Dalhousie Drive but lots of other pedestrians take a more direct, illegal approach.
Eby says he sees people jaywalking over Shaganappi Trail all the time.
“Early in the morning when I’m going to school, I’m always worried that if someone is jaywalking they’re going to get hit,” Eby said.
That’s why the city is spending $5.9 million on a pedestrian bridge set to go over Shaganappi trail between Crowchild Trail and Dalhousie Drive.
“It’s been on the list for years and years and it rose to the top of the list, just simply because of the number of people, the thousands of people who are jaywalking across Shaganappi.”
Traffic is being shut down on Shaganappi Trail over the next two weekends to prepare for the installation of the bridge girders and the concrete span.
Pedestrians say it’s a short term pain for long term gain.
“Because sometimes it’s taking too long to go by this way and if they are making a bridge for their safety and they don’t have to pass through the cars and everything and it’s safety for their life so it’s really good,” Twinkle Narang said.
But the cost of the bridge is higher that expected. That means in order to stay within budget, the city is sacrificing the stairs that were originally planned and is going with access ramps only.
“What was disappointing is the cost was more than we had originally anticipated.”
Councillor Druh Farrell hopes the city will be able to consider adding stairs to the overpass in the future.
“Bridges are just getting more costly to build and so the stairway that on both sides wasn’t put in. I think we need to look at that again in the future,” Farrell said. “People, with this long ramp, may be reluctant to use it.”
“Building during the boom got very expensive. We were bidding against the oil sands and all the construction that’s happening there and that’s why it’s often easier and more cost-effective to build during the downturn,” Farrell said.
Some motorists scoff at the idea of spending $6 million on a pedestrian bridge but others argue Shaganappi Trail is a wide gap to get across, when you’re not quick on your feet.
“The thing is, if you see old people they take so long to cross the road. Sometimes they fall down on the ice and sometimes the car doesn’t stop on time so through the bridge it’s so easy for them,” Narang said.
Shaganappi Trail between Crowchild Trail and Northland Drive and Dalhousie drive will be closed Saturday night starting at 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. and again Sunday night from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.
It will be closed again next weekend, starting Friday at 9 p.m.
The city’s transportation department wasn’t able to provide a completion date.
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