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Broadway Bridge (Saskatoon)
Encyclopedia
Broadway Bridge is an arch bridge
that spans across the east and west banks of the South Saskatchewan River
in Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
.
during the Great Depression
. It was built in 1932 by the contractor R.J. Arrand Construction Co. It was designed by Chalmers Jack (C. J.) MacKenzie (on leave from being Dean of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan
). For this reason, the bridge was originally called the Dean's Bridge in its early period; it was formally named the Broadway Bridge as it connects Broadway Avenue
on the east shore with 19th Street and 4th Avenue in Saskatoon's downtown core. The city once considered changing the name to George V
Bridge in honour of the King.
The year-long closure of the nearby Traffic Bridge in late 2005 greatly increased the amount of daily traffic crossing the bridge.
The Broadway Bridge is mentioned in Joni Mitchell's
song "Cherokee Louise" on the album Night Ride Home
. Joni spent part of her childhood and teenage years in Saskatoon. The Bessborough Hotel, iconically associated with the Broadway Bridge, can be seen in a self-portrait by Mitchell on the cover of her Clouds album.
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
that spans across the east and west banks of the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....
in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
The bridge was constructed as a "make-work" projectMake-work job
A make-work job is a job that has less final benefit than the job costs to support. Make-work jobs are similar to workfare but are publicly offered on the job market and have otherwise normal employment requirements .A classic...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. It was built in 1932 by the contractor R.J. Arrand Construction Co. It was designed by Chalmers Jack (C. J.) MacKenzie (on leave from being Dean of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
). For this reason, the bridge was originally called the Dean's Bridge in its early period; it was formally named the Broadway Bridge as it connects Broadway Avenue
Broadway Avenue
Broadway Avenue is an arterial road in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It begins at the east end of the Broadway Bridge and continues south until terminating at Glasgow Street in the Avalon neighbourhood....
on the east shore with 19th Street and 4th Avenue in Saskatoon's downtown core. The city once considered changing the name to George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
Bridge in honour of the King.
The year-long closure of the nearby Traffic Bridge in late 2005 greatly increased the amount of daily traffic crossing the bridge.
In popular culture
The image of the Bessborough Hotel framed within one of the arches of the Broadway Bridge is considered one of Saskatoon's iconic images.The Broadway Bridge is mentioned in Joni Mitchell's
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
song "Cherokee Louise" on the album Night Ride Home
Night Ride Home
Night Ride Home is the fourteenth album by Joni Mitchell, released in 1991. It was the last of four albums she recorded for Geffen Records....
. Joni spent part of her childhood and teenage years in Saskatoon. The Bessborough Hotel, iconically associated with the Broadway Bridge, can be seen in a self-portrait by Mitchell on the cover of her Clouds album.
See also
- List of bridges in Canada
- List of bridges
- List of other Broadway Bridges