CALGARY ZOO PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Project Type: Structures
About This Project
The Calgary Zoo and surrounding infrastructure was highly affected by the 2013 flood and after the water receded, cleanup required extensive flood mitigation measures to stop future floods from occurring. To accommodate flood mitigation measures at the zoo, the swing bridge needed to be removed and replaced or rebuilt.
The term swing bridge is an affectionate name for this type of light weight suspension bridge without a stiffening truss for the deck. The feeling of a bouncy
“swing bridge” is nostalgic for some Calgarians.
There was a hard deadline for bridge construction completion – the arrival of the pandas to the Zoo. On May 3, 2018, in preparation for the impending arrival of the pandas, television cameras rolled as Bamboo, the Zoo’s panda mascot, was the first to officially cross the new bridge. The following Monday, on May 7, 2018, Panda Passage officially opened at the Calgary Zoo.
This new landmark is not a traditional ‘commuter bridge’ but an attraction at the Zoo and an important connection between the new panda enclosure and the prehistoric park.
Integrated Expertise
- Structural Engineering
- Supporting Services