Peace Bridge

Nestled between the banks of the Bow, just west of Prince's Island Park, the Peace Bridge will be built to accommodate the increasing number of people commuting to and from work and those who simply want to enjoy Calgary's pathways. 

This unique structure will connect the Eau Claire area and Hillhurst-Sunnyside, carrying thousands of Calgarians each day.  Calgary's downtown is home to over 30,000 residents along with 120,000 employees.  This area continues to grow as 40,000 new residents and over 60,000 additional employees are expected in the downtown area by 2035. 

With more people choosing to live and work in the core and surrounding areas, there will be more people travelling by foot, bicycle, or in-line skates in and out of the city centre.

Links to check out:

Peace Bridge: Questions & Answers

Copyrighted Renderings

Video of Peace Bridge

Responding to growth: now and the future

The need for new pedestrian bridges leading into the downtown core is clear.  Calgarians are using the infrastructure currently in place and the demand continues to grow for more.  City Council has prioritized investment in alternative modes of transportation to help address current demand and accommodate for future capacity:

• The Bow River Pathway system in the Eau Claire area is the busiest in the city's entire 660 km pathway network.  Each day, 13,000 pedestrians and cyclists travel across the Louise Bridge, the LRT bridge near 10 St. SW and the Prince's Island bridge.  In the first year, the Peace Bridge is expected to serve 5,000 people per day, or 1.3 million people per year.
• More than ever, Calgary's pathways are being used to travel downtown.  The proportion of pedestrians and cyclists commuting into the core each morning increased from six per cent in 1996 to 10 per cent in 2006.
• The average distance travelled by a commuter cyclist in Calgary is 10 km or 28 minutes of riding one way. Approximately 48 per cent of Calgarians live within 10 km of the downtown core.
• Employment in downtown is projected to grow from 120,000 today to 180,000 in 2035.
• Residential population in downtown is projected to grow from 30,000 today to more than 60,000 by 2035.

Council has approved key directions for land use and transportation with a focus on greater mobility choices.  Downtown is the most compact area of Calgary and the densities of inner city communities such as Eau Claire, East Village, Hillhurst-Sunnyside and The Bridges will continue to increase.  More transportation choices are important due to the limited opportunities to add new roads in the core.  With more people choosing to live and work in the core and surrounding areas, more trips will be made by foot, bicycle, or in-line skates in and out of the city centre.  This growth means that up to two traffic lanes would be required to accommodate the number of pedestrians crossing the Bow River during the morning peak hours. Increasing mobility choices means offering convenient, attractive walking and cycling facilities to support this desirable growth alternative commuting.

Mobility choices and sustainability

Council has set priorities that encourage alternate forms of transportation (2006-2008 Council Priority 2.1), increase mobility choices (November 2008 Council Land Use and Mobility Key Direction), specify increased planning, funding, implementation and maintenance of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles (2009-2011 Council Priority 4.2).  The priorities set out by Council ensure that citizens have choice when selecting mobility options appropriate for how they work, live and travel within Calgary.  These priorities also encourage sustainable transportation options that complements The City's existing infrastructure.

Calgarians have said they prefer initiatives that promote sustainable modes of transportation as key components of Calgary's long-term environmental and mobility plans.  Citizens also indicate a strong desire for infrastructure that enhances Calgary's attractiveness and creates distinct public spaces.  In particular, the Centre City Plan calls for "design excellence" with a fundamental principle to "put pedestrians first" with enhanced pedestrian corridors.

According to the Centre City Plan, pedestrians and cyclists are given the "highest priority because of the vitality they add to the public realm and because of their low environmental impact".  Supporting more sustainable modes of transportation means existing neighbourhoods will be preserved and enhanced, less energy will be consumed and there will be enhanced transportation choices for all Calgarians. 

The Peace Bridge ranked high in the 2009 – 2018 Transportation Infrastructure Investment Plan (TIIP) . This plan supports Council's goals and objectives of providing a variety of transportation options for Calgarians. 

The Peace Bridge meets Council's desire for more sustainable transportation options and supports healthy and environmentally-friendly transportation choices, while enhancing and complementing a world-class downtown core.  It embraces the vision set out by Calgarians to create connections between communities and move towards a more sustainable and vibrant city.  This bridge is part of an integrated approach to keeping Calgarians on the move and encouraging citizens to use alternate modes of transportation such as walking, cycling, transit and carpooling.

Project scope

In September 2008, Calgary City Council approved the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Bow River west of Prince's Island Park.  The location of the bridge is designed to create a convenient link for users of Calgary's pathway system and pedestrians wishing to travel between the Sunnyside LRT Station and central downtown destinations such as Eau Claire. 

This bridge design addresses safety and comfort for users by offering:

• A 6.2-metre wide pathway, double the width of other pedestrian bridges in the area.
• A clear separation between pedestrian and bicycle/wheel traffic for safety.
• Canopy-style glazed roof supports year round use while maintaining natural light.
• Lighting for night time use.

The bridge was designed by award-winning architect and bridge designer Santiago Calatrava.  His design work spans the globe and includes numerous road and pedestrian bridges (Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay , Redding, California), airports (Lyon Airport Station, France), and transportation centres (World Trade Center Transportation Hub, New York City). 

The majority of the project will be tendered through competitive processes. This includes construction supervision and geotechnical investigation, hydrotechnical reviews, electrical designers, utility relocations, construction and landscaping. The design of the bridge was single-sourced.  Examples of Transportation projects where the design component was provided to a single contractor include Legsby Pedestrian Bridge (Cohos Evamy); Graves Bridge Twinning (CH2M Hill); and Macleod Trail/Shawnessy-Midlake Boulevard Interchange (Stantec).

The Calgary office of Stantec Consulting is providing technical support and the Transportation department is providing management expertise for the project.

Protecting the environment

In addition to its striking form, the Peace Bridge supports several of The City's priorities including environmental protection.  The design of the 130-metre long, single span bridge will minimize the environmental impacts of construction and permanent bridge installation over the Bow River. 

As well, the bridge is designed to:

• Withstand Calgary's one-in-100-year flood cycle.
• Meet a minimum 75-year life span.
• Allow barrier-free access for people of all mobility types.

Timeline

The new pedestrian bridge is anticipated to be tendered in the fall of 2009, allowing construction to begin later this year. The bridge is expected to open to the public in 2010.

Funding

Funding for the Peace Bridge is provided by the City's Capital Budget.  For the Transportation department, targeted expenditures of capital are directed by TIIP which defines the priority and timing of major infrastructure construction projects.  This program emphasizes pedestrian and cycling in high-density areas where these modes are more efficient at moving people, support land use and lessen environmental impacts.

• Construction – approximately $18 million (pricing to be known following the tendering process).
• Architectural and structural design, specialized engineering and quality assurance – $3.903 million.
• Calatrava's design fee is in line with the industry standard for architectural fees for similar projects of about 12 per cent of the total construction cost.
• Project administration and contingency – $2.450 million.

To see similar bridge costs, see the Pedestrian Bridge Cost Comparisons .

Information Updates

Transportation Infrastructure is committed to keeping Calgarians informed about this project. If you would like to receive information updates by email, simply fill out the online form. For more information, please call 3-1-1, or if calling from outside Calgary, call 403-268-CITY (2489).

Updated renderings will be posted on this page as the design and construction of this bridge progresses.