The High Level Bridge is a bridge that spans the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada. Located next to the Alberta Legislature Building, the bridge linked the
separate communities of Edmonton and Strathcona, which became one city in 1912. It was designed
from the outset to accommodate rail, streetcar, automobile and pedestrian traffic. The bridge
was designated a Municipal Historic Resource in 1995. Trucks are prohibited on the bridge
due to the low clearance of 3.2 metres and substandard lane width, despite the bridge
being classified as a 24-hour truck route on city maps. Currently street traffic is
one-way southbound. At the north end of the bridge 109 Street becomes the left lane, and
110 Street becomes the right lane. The next bridge downstream, the Walterdale Bridge,
is a two-lane bridge with one-way northbound traffic into the downtown.
The Canadian Pacific Railway, responsible for the design of the bridge, ceased rail
operations over the span in 1989. The upper deck contains only one track now, which is
currently used only by the High Level Bridge Streetcar, a historic streetcar route that
travels from the Strathcona Streetcar Barn & Museum, just north of the Strathcona Farmers
Market, in Old Strathcona, to Jasper Plaza south of Jasper Avenue, between 109 Street
and 110 Street, in downtown, with three intermediate stops.
Extensive repairs and the addition and widening of pedestrian sidewalks were completed in
1994–95. The original lead paint on the bridge was carefully removed, and over 100,000
litres of paint were used to recoat the girders. The Edmonton-area Ritual of the Calling of
an Engineer uses a rivet hammer purportedly used in the bridge's construction as part
of its ceremony. In June 2009 the electrical wires supporting
trolley bus operation on 109 Street were removed as part of the City of Edmonton's plan to
retire trolley buses from service. Every year at the end of October, CHBN-FM
strings bras across the bridge for breast cancer awareness and research donation.
Light the Bridge In April 2013, a campaign called Light the
Bridge was launched, with the aim of covering the bridge with LED lights so it can light
up on special occasions. The campaign raised approximately $2.5 million
for the project, which was unveiled on July 1, 2014. The official lighting of the bridge
was synchronized to the tune of "O Canada", played by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
and broadcast on CKUA radio. The lights are capable of displaying many different colours
and are often programmed to coordinate with local events, such as green and gold for games
played by the Edmonton Eskimos. Great Divide Waterfall
In 1980 the Great Divide Waterfall by artist Peter Lewis was added to the structure for
Alberta's 75th anniversary. The man-made waterfall dropped 64 m from the top of the bridge,
into the North Saskatchewan River at a rate of 50,000 litres per minute. It operated
during holiday weekends in the summer months until 2009 when it was shut off after consultation
with Environment Canada. From roughly April 2012 to April 2013, city council deliberated
on whether or not it should re-open the waterfall, and in 2013, $735 000 was allocated for "Great
Divide waterfall refurbishment", As of 2014, the city has all but scrapped the plans to
refurbish the waterfall, citing the estimated $2.6 million price tag as too high. The final
decision to decommission the waterfall will be stayed until fall 2014, as public reaction
is gauged and community fundraising options are considered.
Gallery
See also High Level Bridge Streetcar
References
External links Herzog, Lawrence. "Edmonton's High Level Bridge".
Edmonton Real Estate Weekly. Realtors Association of Edmonton.