A sewer pipe project that will tuck the pipes under a new pedestrian bridge is causing controversy in Banff.
The town is upgrading its sewer system, replacing the pipes that currently run under the Bow River.
The plan is to lift the pipes out of the water and suspend them under the new pedestrian bridge.
The town says it will help protect the environment, and give residents and tourists an alternate way to get across the Bow.
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“Environmentally it’s been absolutely the right decision,” said Banff mayor Karen Sorenson. ” From a cost perspective we are able to put a pedestrian bridge in the community within the same budget as the sewer pipe replacement, so adding the bridge is not going to cost us any more than the this current project was going to cost us.”
The town is spending $6.8 million on the project.
Some residents believe it’s a waste of money and will lead to more traffic in a quiet residential neighbourhood, while others are happy it will mean a shorter walk to get across the river.
The mayor says the new bridge will also make it safer for school children riding their bikes, and that tourists at the Banff Springs Hotel will have another option to get around.
Construction is expected to be completed next fall.
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