Amazing connector over the North Saskatchewan river. One of the very few important and rare breed…read morein our city.
This bridge is an institution for our City. It has stood for over 100 years connecting Edmonton to the south side of the North Saskatchewan river and the communities beyond. It has contributed to the growth and success of Edmonton delivering by train on THREE tracks on the top level, and by carriage, wagon, pedestrian and car on the lower deck.
This bridge is host to so many functions!
The streetcar(s) that run on the single remaining track on the upper deck of this route are lovingly restored, maintained and operated by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society, they also manage the streetcars at Fort Edmonton Park. The drivers/engineers are certified and not just tour guides. Although they certainly can give a fantastic tour!
I grab the streetcar just two blocks from my condo and ride it into Strathcona to events, to the farmers market, to shop, and to the restaurants and bars on the south side of the river. You pass over the river, through the trees, under the tunnel, by a community garden, past the railway museum - oh yes, there IS one - by the church and the library and drop off at the old bus barns where the farmers market is open Saturdays. The schedule is pretty much every 20 minutes from 10am-4pm from Mothers Day to Thanksgiving - unless there's snow or ice on the tracks that make it unsafe, the streetcar will run.
On top of the daily daytime trips over the river, there are special events - beer tastings, sunset concerts, weddings, and pop up dining affairs as well!
It hosts a pedestrian, skateboard, rollerblade and bicycle multi-use pathway...although it doesn't quite meet the specs, people try to share, but I do know that the bad cyclists will try to take pedestrians out. Don't expect they'll use their bells to warn you they are coming... most don't even have bells.
To drive across in your car - it is a 50km zone, but there have been wisecrackers caught by police with radar doing as much as 187kph. That's just crazy unsafe. There's a hairpin turn to the left at the end of the bridge. Oh, and it's a low clearance bridge - you'd better know how tall (and wide) your vehicle is before you get on there! Busses generally drive down the middle of the lane, so make sure you leave them right-of-way.
Lights! Oh the lights. There are some talented LED lights on the bridge that can dance to the music, and not only CAN they, they do! The symphony plays in the park and the lights are programmed to the music. The lights can be requested to commemorate special events, such as days to recognize National Celiac Awareness month, Juvenile Diabetes, sports team events, the 60th Anniversary of Hungarian Independence, Canada Day...you get the gist.
Living downtown, I have puttered my way over this bridge in every method of commute possible, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, car and foot. In rain, in snow, in summer and fall, the colours of the river valley never cease to impress and amaze. Even after 9 years, you just have to stop and take a moment.
A sight not to be missed if you can catch it is a sunset over the North Saskatchewan from the bridge on foot, by bicycle, or from the streetcar.