Peace Bridge (Calgary)
Encyclopedia
Peace Bridge is a pedestrian bridge crossing the Bow River
in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
currently under construction.
The bridge was proposed by the city of Calgary to connect the southern Bow River pathway and Downtown Calgary
with the northern Bow River pathway and the community of Sunnyside
.
The city of Calgary contracted the architectural and structural design with Santiago Calatrava
for $3.903 million. The projected completion cost is $22 million.
It is expected that the bridge will be used used by more than 5,000 people daily.
's usual designs, which are typically asymmetric shapes anchored by high masts. Another atypical element is the colour, while most of Calatrava's designs are white, the Peace Bridge features a red and white pattern (Red and white are the colours in both the Flag of Canada
and the Flag of Calgary).
Features:
Materials used:
Dimensions:
approved the construction of the pedestrian bridge in September 2008 amid controversy related to the price tag and the lack of a bidding process for the bridge design.
Construction started in March 2010. A temporary structure was built immediately upstream from the bridge location and serves as a place to assemble the bridge before moving it to its final position.
The tubular bridge was manufactured in Spain and shipped to Calgary. Assembly of the bridge pieces started in October 2010 and construction was expected to be completed by mid 2011.
During routine weld inspection, it was discovered that significant quality issues arose. As a result, the project has been delayed. The original Summer 2011 opening has now been pushed back indefinitely.
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, 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...
currently under construction.
The bridge was proposed by the city of Calgary to connect the southern Bow River pathway and Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
with the northern Bow River pathway and the community of Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Calgary
Sunnyside is an innercity community in Calgary, Alberta located on the north side of the Bow River immediately adjacent to Calgary's downtown...
.
The city of Calgary contracted the architectural and structural design with Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
for $3.903 million. The projected completion cost is $22 million.
It is expected that the bridge will be used used by more than 5,000 people daily.
Design
The design follows strict requirements imposed by the city, with no piers in the water (in an effort to minimize the ecological footprint) and restricted height (due to the vicinity of the Calgary (City/Bow River) Heliport). As such, the bridge is a departure from CalatravaSantiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
's usual designs, which are typically asymmetric shapes anchored by high masts. Another atypical element is the colour, while most of Calatrava's designs are white, the Peace Bridge features a red and white pattern (Red and white are the colours in both the Flag of Canada
Flag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
and the Flag of Calgary).
Features:
- Helical steel structure with a glass roof
- Increased width of 6.2 metres (20.3 ft)
- Segregated bicycle and pedestrian traffic
- Lighting for night time use
Materials used:
- SteelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
for the arches - Reinforced concreteReinforced concreteReinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
abutments & deck
Dimensions:
- Span length: Tube Girder 126 metres (413.4 ft)
- Total length: Out to Out 130.6 metres (428.5 ft)
- Total width: 8 metres (26.2 ft)
- Total height: 5.85 metres (19.2 ft)
- Inside width: 6.2 metres (20.3 ft) (3.7 metres (12.1 ft) for pedestrian and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) for cycleway)
History
Calgary City CouncilCalgary City Council
The Calgary City Council is the legislative governing body that represents the citizens of Calgary. The Council consists of two offices; Office of the Mayor and Office of the Alderman. Naheed Nenshi was elected to the Office of the Mayor in October 2010 as the city's 36th chief executive...
approved the construction of the pedestrian bridge in September 2008 amid controversy related to the price tag and the lack of a bidding process for the bridge design.
Construction started in March 2010. A temporary structure was built immediately upstream from the bridge location and serves as a place to assemble the bridge before moving it to its final position.
The tubular bridge was manufactured in Spain and shipped to Calgary. Assembly of the bridge pieces started in October 2010 and construction was expected to be completed by mid 2011.
During routine weld inspection, it was discovered that significant quality issues arose. As a result, the project has been delayed. The original Summer 2011 opening has now been pushed back indefinitely.
Criticism
The Peace Bridge has drawn much criticism from the public, namely:- Three other pedestrian bridges already exist just 275m West, 400m West, and 900m East from its location. The Peace Bridge is the only bridge to provide dedicated bicycle lanes crossing the Bow river.
- The design was awarded with "no bids".
- The design was awarded to a foreign firm.
- The $24.5M bridge is being constructed during a year when the city has a $60M deficit. Despite the price tag, the Peace Bridge has a lower cost per area than similar length pedestrian/cycle bridges.
- Toronto's Puente de Luz pedestrian bridge is designed with a similar look but a lower $8M overall cost
- the Calatrava bridge extends to the north bank of the Bow River, but fails to extend over the busy arterial road of Memorial Drive, thereby requiring Calgarians to cross at a level crossing with its inherent dangers and impediments to traffic flow.
- the construction of the bridge required numerous piers with its resultant disruption of the riverbed, in contrast to the specific objective of non-disturbance from a single-span bridge
- the Calatrava Bridge was renamed the "Peace Bridge"; a retronym imposed by City Council to quell prolonged public criticism over the design, irregular bidding process, high cost, and undemonstrated need for a pedestrian bridge within sight of 3 others