In with the new, out with the old – Calgary’s much anticipated 9 Avenue southeast bridge construction was officially complete as of Tuesday morning.
Calgarians in a vehicle and on foot have been able to use the new bridge since April, though double lanes on both sides are set to open come July. According to the city roughly 19,000 vehicles a day drive over the bridge that connects the communities of East Village and Inglewood.
“The new 9 Avenue S.E. bridge is a critical community connection,” said Kate Thompson, president and CEO of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC). “It will serve as an important link between Inglewood and Ramsay and the emerging Culture (and) Entertainment District, which is home to the expanding BMO Centre, the Saddledome and countless amenities and experiences on Stampede Park.”
For the past three years, commuters have dealt with various construction delays as the century-old bridge was removed and the new one was built.
The cost of the project was pegged at $25.1 million with funding from the Alberta government covering $5.24 million under its community resiliency program grant, $7 million contributed from CMLC and the rest coming from the City of Calgary.
“Bridge projects of this type and scale have very unique challenges and opportunities, which makes achieving this milestone all the more rewarding for the entire team,” added Project Manager Evan Fer.
Construction began back in 2019 and the new bridge has approximately 26,000 bolts and 500 tonnes of steel.
To keep some of the historical significance of the removed 110-year-old bridge, the original Inglewood goose sign that once adorned the old 9 Avenue bridge will be installed in Inglewood’s Sculpture Park later this summer.