9th Avenue bridge project will be two-year headache for pedestrians, cyclists

Plans to replace the main bridge connecting Inglewood and Ramsay to Calgary’s core could mean two years of access woes, says an inner-city councillor.

A temporary detour bridge planned while construction is underway on the 9th Avenue S.E. bridge replacement project will not include room for pedestrians and cyclists, the Calgary Planning Commission heard last week.

In a presentation to the commission on Thursday, project manager Evan Fer said river pathway users will be directed to the MacDonald Avenue S.E. bridge and the Elbow River Traverse in the East Village while construction takes place on a widened new structure over the Elbow River.

Inner-city Coun. Druh Farrell said the new bridge is well designed and will ultimately be better for pedestrians and cyclists. However, she said access during construction could be a concern.

“We struggle with providing access during construction, continuously struggle,” she said in a phone interview Sunday.

The 7th Street S.E. route will be closed for the duration of the construction project.

Plans for the $23-million replacement bridge spanning the Elbow River were unveiled in May. The new bridge, which will have improved flood resiliency, will be designed to accommodate up to four lanes of traffic and will include 3.3-metre-wide pathways on each side.

A series of open houses were held on the new bridge design during the past year, Fer said. Construction is scheduled to start this winter, with an estimated completion date near the end of 2020.

The existing bridge was built in 1909, originally to accommodate a new streetcar system. According to the report the planning commission received, the existing bridge is past its useful service life and has “numerous structural and functional deficiencies.” A 2016 feasibility study recommended replacement of the existing bridge.