Read aloud by your device's voice. It sounds different on each device.
The bridge
Santiago Calatrava designed a bridge for walkers and cyclists
The Peace Bridge carries people walking and cycling across the Bow River in Calgary. The Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava designed it, and it opened on 24 March 2012. Approximately 9000 visitors a day reportedly use it.
9000visitors a day reportedly use the bridge
The design
It has no piers in the water, and its red and white match two flags
The design has a helical steel structure with a glass roof and no piers in the water, to lessen the ecological footprint. Unlike most of Calatrava's designs, it is red and white, as in the flags of Canada and Calgary.
From Spain
The tubular bridge was made in Spain and shipped to Calgary
Assembly of the bridge pieces started in the fall of 2010 on a temporary structure upstream. The bridge was moved across the Bow River in November 2011.
Delays
Weld inspections delayed the opening by more than a year
During routine weld inspection, some of the welds were found not to comply with quality standards. Added inspections, weld repairs and damaged concrete slabs delayed the opening, which had been planned for the fall of 2010.
Cables
Steel cables replaced glass panels after repeated vandalism
In 2022 the bridge suffered repeated vandalism, and its glass panels were damaged. The city consulted with Calatrava and decided to install steel cables instead, to be completed in the fall of 2023.
Day 1, afternoon
It comes after Calgary Tower. Then Prince’s Island Park.
More stories from this trip idea
The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Peace Bridge (Calgary), and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.