OUT WITH THE OLD
The Jaipur Bridge that connects Eau Claire to Prince’s Island will be demolished next year and replaced. Built in 1968 with an expected lifespan of 50 years, the new span retains the name but will be wider, taller and built to last a century. If all goes to plan, it will reopen in time for the Calgary Folk Music Festival in 2021.
A two-day closure of a pedestrian bridge in Eau Claire earlier this week foreshadowed a major project set to begin in August 2020 to replace the Jaipur Bridge, the main south access linking Eau Claire Market and Prince’s Island Park.
The current span opened in 1968 and was designed to last 50 years. As it completes its 51st year, area Coun. Druh Farrell said the project is overdue and is necessary to improve the Eau Claire area.
“Prince’s Island Park is our busiest park by far. It’s the jewel and the crown of the park system,” said Farrell.
“The bridge is at capacity. It’s very narrow and we see large volumes of people on it, especially during events, and so we recognized a number of years ago that the bridge needed work.”
According to the city, construction will begin in August 2020 after the Calgary Folk Music Festival and, if all goes to plan, will be complete just before the festival begins the next year, so the effect is minimal on the popular Calgary event.
Preliminary work is already underway as the city conducted geotechnical drilling on both sides of Jaipur Bridge on July 16 and 17, causing temporary closures.
The new bridge, which will carry the same name, will be wider and taller to accommodate increased foot traffic and access to emergency vehicles, and will also improve flood resiliency. Its lifespan will be a century.
Joyce Tang, program manager of urban strategy with the City of Calgary, said there will be disruption to residents but they are trying to mitigate it as much as possible.
While construction on the new bridge is underway, the city will also make improvements to the smaller pedestrian bridge farther east at 2nd Street S.W. to make it more flood resistant.
Tang said this work will be staggered, so that two of the three entry points, including the 6th street causeway that is always open, will be available to the public.
Despite the nuisance of construction, both Tang and Farrell said it’s worth it to improve Eau Claire infrastructure.
“Calgarians are drawn to this park to celebrate and from time to time we need to reinvest,” said the councillor.
“It’s good that we are finally building it.”
Tang said work on both bridges will cost the city $9.6 million.
They are part of the city’s Eau Claire Public Realm Plan, which includes multiple, connected projects to improve the area’s connectivity and resiliency.