The City of Calgary has a number of bridges, spanning the two main rivers that cross the city, Bow River and Elbow River, as well as some other geographical and physical features.
The first building in Calgary was erected in 1872 by Alexis Cardinal, at the request of Fr Constantine Scollen, an Oblate missionary priest, at the confluence of the two rivers.
The Bow River enters the city from west, winds around downtown, then runs south. From west to south, the following structures cross the river.
Bridge | Carries | Length | Built | Coordinates | Image | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bearspaw Dam | Utility | 1954 | 51°06′04″N114°16′57″W / 51.10124°N 114.28251°W | Dam on Calgary's west limits, east of Bearspaw; built in 1954, [1] owned and maintained by TransAlta | ||
Stoney Trail Bow River Bridges | Stoney Trail | 476 m | 1997/2023 | 51°05′53″N114°13′56″W / 51.09798°N 114.23219°W | Between Trans Canada Highway and Tuscany; The northbound bridges lower pedestrian deck connects to the south and north Bow River pathways | |
85 St NW Bridge | 85 Street NW | 51°05′53″N114°12′38″W / 51.09794°N 114.21052°W | Between Bowness and Scenic Acres | |||
Bowness Pedestrian Bridge | Pathway | 51°05′52″N114°12′05″W / 51.09785°N 114.20138°W | Connects Bow River pathways between Bowmont Park Natural Area and Bowness | |||
Bowness Railway Bridge | Canadian Pacific Railway | 51°05′53″N114°12′00″W / 51.09797°N 114.20002°W | ||||
John Hextall Bridge | Pedestrian/Cycle | 1910 [2] | 51°04′43″N114°10′20″W / 51.07869°N 114.17229°W | Between Bowness and Montgomery; parallels Shouldice Bridge and is used for pedestrian and bicycle traffic only; originally carried a streetcar. | ||
Shouldice Bridge | Bowness Road NW | 51°04′43″N114°10′20″W / 51.07863°N 114.17236°W | Between Bowness, Shouldice Park and Montgomery | |||
TCH Bridge | 16 Avenue NW | 51°04′38″N114°10′39″W / 51.07722°N 114.17745°W | Between Sarcee Trail and Montgomery | |||
Harry Boothman Bridge | Pedestrian | 51°03′53″N114°09′16″W / 51.06464°N 114.15453°W | Pedestrian alley in Edworthy Park, between the Bow River pathways; named for Harry Boothman. superintendent and director of Calgary Parks from 1958 to 1976 | |||
Crowchild Trail Bridge | Crowchild Trail | 51°02′49″N114°06′54″W / 51.04686°N 114.11494°W | Between Shaganappi and Kensington, lower pedestrian deck connects pathways on each side of the river | |||
Mewata Bridge | 14 Street W | 1954 [2] | 51°02′53″N114°05′41″W / 51.04801°N 114.09471°W | Between Kensington and Sunalta | ||
Bridge | Carries | Length | Built | Coordinates | Image | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cushing Bridge | Blackfoot Trail SE / 17 Avenue SE | 51°02′14″N114°00′46″W / 51.03736°N 114.01280°W | Connects Inglewood with Forest Lawn; named after William Henry Cushing, Calgary mayor from 1900 to 1901 [3] | ||||
CPR Bonnybrook Bridge | Canadian Pacific Railway | 51°00′51″N114°00′44″W / 51.014254°N 114.012294°W | Pony truss railroad bridge, connects three main tracks (P-1 mainline, P-2 lead and Old Ogden lead) with CPR Alyth Yard. The bridge is partially collapsed after flooding of Bow River in June 2013. [6] Steel bridge added in 1971. and Old Ogden lead, | ||||
CNR Bow River Bridge | Canadian National Railway | 51°00′52″N114°00′41″W / 51.014403°N 114.011521°W | Through truss bridge has a single track. | ||||
Bonnybrook Bridge | Ogden Road SE | 51°00′46″N114°00′46″W / 51.01290°N 114.01284°W | Vehicular bridge carries Ogden Road and connects Alyth with Foothills Industrial Park | ||||
Calf Robe Bridge | Deerfoot Trail | 51°00′31″N114°01′07″W / 51.00856°N 114.01869°W | Connects Deerfoot trail from Glenmore Trail to Peigan Road; named after Ben Calf Robe, a Siksika chief | ||||
Canadian National Bridge | CN Railway | 51°00′16″N114°01′19″W / 51.00437°N 114.02195°W | Connects Canadian Pacific Railway to Canadian National Railway | ||||
Graves Bridges | Glenmore Trail | 50°59′12″N114°01′29″W / 50.98658°N 114.02466°W | Connects Alyth to Riverbend and Ogden, leads to Highway 8 east; twinned in 2009 [7] | ||||
Sue Higgins Bridge | Pedestrian | 50°58′10″N114°01′33″W / 50.96957°N 114.02575°W | Connects Southland Drive and Acadia to Riverbend | ||||
Lafarge Bridge | Road | 50°57′23″N114°01′23″W / 50.95651°N 114.02295°W | Connects Lafarge cement plant to Douglasglen. Damaged in 2005 flood, subsequently removed. | ||||
Ivor Strong Bridge | Deerfoot Trail | 50°57′09″N114°01′14″W / 50.95259°N 114.02058°W | Connects Maple Ridge to Douglasdale at the Anderson Road alignment; named after John Ivor Strong, Chief Commissioner for the City of Calgary from 1965 to 1971 | ||||
Douglasdale Park Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 50°56′27″N114°00′40″W / 50.94090°N 114.01109°W | Connects Douglasdale Park to Queensland | ||||
McKenzie Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 50°54′42″N113°59′54″W / 50.91178°N 113.99827°W | Connects Deer Ridge with McKenzie Lake | ||||
Marquis de Lorne Bridges | Stoney Trail | 2009/2023 [8] | 50°53′40″N114°00′34″W / 50.89435°N 114.00937°W | Connects Stoney Trail from Sundance and Chaparral across Fish Creek Provincial Park to McKenzie Lake and Cranston | |||
Chapparal Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 2023 | 50°53′31″N114°00′27″W / 50.891817°N 114.007419°W | Connects Chapparal to Cranston | |||
Dunbow Bridges | Deerfoot Trail | 50°51′15″N113°58′15″W / 50.85420°N 113.97095°W | Connects Deerfoot Trail to Macleod Trail south of Calgary, between Cranston/Seton and Heritage Pointe | ||||
The Elbow River enters the city in the southwest, then turns north and merges into the Bow River immediately east of downtown. From west to north, the following structures cross the river.
Bridge | Carries | Length | Built | Coordinates | Image | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Twin Bridges | Highway 8 | 51°01′01″N114°14′25″W / 51.01693°N 114.24017°W | Highway 8 named Stoney Trail east of this point | |||
Weaselhead Road Bridge | Weasel Head Road | 50°59′33″N114°10′06″W / 50.992513°N 114.168360°W | Private bridge for road traffic, inside the limits of the Tsuut'ina Nation reserve | |||
Tsuu'tina Trail Bridges | Tsuu'tina Trail | 50°59′33″N114°10′06″W / 50.992513°N 114.168360°W | Bridges going north and southbound on Tsuu'tina Trail over the Elbow | |||
Weaselhead Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 50°59′29″N114°8′48″W / 50.99139°N 114.14667°W | Bridge within the Weaslehead Natural Area | |||
Glenmore Trail Causeway | Glenmore Trail | 50°59′43″N114°05′57″W / 50.99530°N 114.09928°W | Crosses the Glenmore Reservoir | |||
Glenmore Dam | Pedestrian, maintenance road | 1933 | 51°00′00″N114°05′50″W / 50.99990°N 114.09715°W | Dam, created Glenmore Reservoir, allows pedestrian access and maintenance vehicles (no public vehicle access) along Glenmore Bridge Rd. | ||
Sandy Beach Bridge | Pedestrian | 1959 [9] | 51°00′43″N114°05′31″W / 51.01199°N 114.09182°W | Connects River Park (in Altadore) and Riverdale Park (in Britannia) | ||
Elbow Park Britannia Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 51°01′08″N114°04′59″W / 51.01887°N 114.08317°W | Connects Elbow River bike and pathway; between Elbow Park and Britannia | |||
Elbow Drive Bridge | Elbow Drive | 51°01′04″N114°04′40″W / 51.01786°N 114.07788°W | Connects the neighbourhoods of Elbow Park and Britannia | |||
Elbow Park Rideau Park Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 51°01′30″N114°04′40″W / 51.02495°N 114.07779°W | Connects Elbow River bike and pathway; between Elbow Park and Rideau Park | |||
4 St SW Bridge | 4 Street SW | 51°01′46″N114°04′17″W / 51.02934°N 114.07152°W | Connects the neighbourhoods of Mission and Roxboro | |||
Scollen Bridge | 25 Avenue SW | 51°01′49″N114°03′48″W / 51.03041°N 114.06343°W | Connects the neighbourhoods of Mission and Erlton | |||
21 Ave SW MNP Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 51°02′03″N114°04′03″W / 51.03421°N 114.06751°W | Between 21 Ave SW and the MNP Community & Sport Centre grounds | |||
19 Ave SW MNP Pedestrian Bridge | Pedestrian | 51°02′09″N114°03′55″W / 51.03588°N 114.06538°W | Between 19 Ave SW (behind St. Mary's Cathedral and the MNP Community & Sport Centre grounds | |||
Pattison Bridge | Macleod Trail South | 51°02′10″N114°03′41″W / 51.03600°N 114.06126°W | Between Mission and MNP Community & Sport Centre, named for John George Pattison, Victoria Cross recipient of the 50th Battalion, CEF. [10] | |||
Victoria Bridge | Macleod Trail North | 51°02′04″N114°03′33″W / 51.03448°N 114.05911°W | Between Mission and MNP Community & Sport Centre | |||
Macleod Train Bridge | C-Train | 51°2′2″N114°3′32″W / 51.03389°N 114.05889°W | Between Mission and MNP Community & Sport Centre | |||
Stampede Trail Bridge | Stampede Trail SE | 51°01′58″N114°03′24″W / 51.03265°N 114.05675°W | Provides entry into the Calgary Stampede grounds and access to the Stampede Grandstand | |||
Stampede Ground Bridge | maintenance road | 51°1′52″N114°3′2″W / 51.03111°N 114.05056°W | Provides access Calgary Stampede ground buildings | |||
Stampede Ground Bridge | maintenance road | 51°1′53″N114°3′1″W / 51.03139°N 114.05028°W | Provides access Calgary Stampede ground buildings | |||
Saddledome Trail Bridge | Pedestrian | 51°2′13″N114°2′59″W / 51.03694°N 114.04972°W | Provides entry into the Calgary Stampede grounds and access to the Scotiabank Saddledome | |||
Agriculture Trail Bridge | Agriculture Trail SE | 51°02′19″N114°02′55″W / 51.03858°N 114.04873°W | Service road from Calgary Stampede grounds | |||
Macdonald Avenue Bridge | Macdonald Avenue SE | 1911 | 51°02′29″N114°02′41″W / 51.04132°N 114.04474°W | Connects the neighbourhoods of Victoria Park and Ramsay | ||
Canadian Pacific Rail Bridge (Inglewood) | Canadian Pacific Railway | 51°02′35″N114°02′34″W / 51.04318°N 114.04287°W | Connects the Canadian Pacific Railway downtown yard with the CPR Alyth Yard | |||
9 Ave SE (Inglewood) Bridge | 9 Avenue SE | 2022 | 51°02′37″N114°02′34″W / 51.04363°N 114.04277°W | Original bridge was built in 1909 and demolished in 2019 to make room for its replacement (pictured). The Bridge provides access between Downtown East Village and Inglewood | ||
Fish Creek flows from west to east in the south part of the city, through the Fish Creek Provincial Park. It merges into the Bow River in the southeast quadrant of the city.
The Glenmore Reservoir is a large reservoir on the Elbow River in the southwest quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is controlled by the Glenmore Dam, a concrete gravity dam on the Elbow River. The Glenmore Reservoir is a primary source of drinking water to the city of Calgary. Built in 1932, with a cost of $3.8 million, the dam controls the downstream flow of the Elbow River, thus allowing the city to develop property near the river's banks with less risk of flooding.
Fish Creek Park is an urban provincial park that preserves the valley of Fish Creek in the southern part of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is bordered on three sides by the city, and on the west by the territory of the Tsuu T’ina Nation (Sarcee), a First Nation.
Deerfoot Trail is a 46.4-kilometre (28.8 mi) freeway segment of Highway 2 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It stretches the entire length of the city from south to north and links suburbs to downtown via Memorial Drive and 17 Avenue SE. The freeway begins south of Calgary where it splits from Macleod Trail, crosses the Bow River into city limits, and reaches the Stoney Trail ring road. Crisscrossing twice more with the river, it intersects Glenmore Trail and Memorial Drive; the former is a major east–west expressway while the latter is a freeway spur into downtown. In north Calgary, it crosses Highway 1 and passes Calgary International Airport before ending at a second interchange with Stoney Trail. Highway 2 becomes the Queen Elizabeth II Highway as it continues north into Rocky View County towards Edmonton.
The Elbow River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River.
The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta and a small portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River and is part of the larger Saskatchewan-Nelson system that empties into Hudson Bay.
Alberta Provincial Highway No. 201, officially named Stoney Trail and Tsuut'ina Trail, is an approximately 92-kilometre (57 mi) freeway in Calgary, Alberta. It forms part of the CANAMEX Corridor which connects Calgary to Edmonton and Interstate 15 in the United States via Highways 2, 3, and 4. Planned for a total length of 101 kilometres, the final segment of the ring road is currently under construction to be completed by 2024 at the latest, delayed from an original target of 2022. The freeway serves as a bypass for the congested routes of 16 Avenue N and Deerfoot Trail through Calgary. At its busiest point near Beddington Trail in north Calgary, the six-lane freeway carried nearly 79,000 vehicles per day in 2019.
Alberta Provincial Highway No. 8, commonly referred to as Highway 8, is a highway in Southern Alberta that connects Highway 22 in Rocky View County, just north of Redwood Meadows, to Calgary.
The city of Calgary, Alberta, has a large transportation network that encompasses a variety of road, rail, air, public transit, and pedestrian infrastructure. Calgary is also a major Canadian transportation centre and a central cargo hub for freight in and out of north-western North America. The city sits at the junction between the "Canamex" highway system and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Glenmore Trail is a 22-kilometre (14 mi) expressway in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, named after the reservoir which it crosses. It is a freeway between Sarcee Trail in southwest Calgary to Ogden Road in the southeast, carrying nearly 160,000 vehicles per weekday at its busiest point placing it second only to Deerfoot Trail as the busiest road in Alberta. East of Calgary, Glenmore Trail becomes Highway 560 en route to Langdon.
Albert Park/Radisson Heights is a residential neighbourhood in the southeast quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is bounded to the west by the Bow River and Deerfoot Trail, to the north by Memorial Drive and to the south by 17 Avenue SE. The community of Forest Lawn lies to the east.
Bridgeland-Riverside, formerly known as Bridgeland and Germantown, is a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is located northeast of Downtown Calgary. It is bounded to the south by the Bow River, to the east by Deerfoot Trail, to the west by Edmonton Trail and to the north by the community of Renfrew.
Renfrew is a residential neighbourhood in the northeast quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is located south of the Trans-Canada Highway, and north of the inner city community of Bridgeland. To the east it is bordered by the Nose Hill Creek and the Deerfoot Trail and is separated from Crescent Heights to the west by Edmonton Trail.
Macleod Trail is a major road in Calgary, Alberta. It is a six- to eight-lane principal arterial road extending from downtown Calgary to the south of the city, where it merges into Highway 2. South of Anderson Road, Macleod Trail is an expressway and is slated to be upgraded to a freeway in the future. It is named for its destination to the south, Fort Macleod.
Calgary is a city in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is the largest city in Alberta and the largest metro area within the three Prairie Provinces region. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in Canada.
The Reconciliation Bridge is a through truss bridge in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It connects Downtown Calgary with north-central Calgary communities such as Bridgeland and Crescent Heights, by spanning the Bow River between 4th Avenue South and Memorial Drive.
Downtown East Village more commonly known as simply East Village, is a mixed-use neighbourhood within the eastern portions of downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is contained within the city's Rivers District. Containing the earliest-settled land in the Calgary area - Fort Calgary - East Village was for years a mixture of high-rise residential, commercial, and industrial development. Much of the parkland currently surrounding Fort Calgary was industrial as recently as the 1960s. Construction of the city's light rail transit Blue Line, coupled with the closure of 8th Avenue at Macleod Trail in the early 1980s by construction of the massive Calgary Municipal Building, resulted in East Village being "cut off," figuratively speaking, from the rest of downtown. As a result, it became home to many rundown properties and vacant lots over the years, and a severe crime problem.
In the days leading up to June 19, 2013, parts of southern and central Alberta, Canada experienced heavy rainfall that triggered catastrophic flooding described by the provincial government as the worst in Alberta's history. Areas along the Bow, Elbow, Highwood, Red Deer, Sheep, Little Bow, and South Saskatchewan rivers and their tributaries were particularly affected. A total of 32 states of local emergency were declared and 28 emergency operations centres were activated as water levels rose and numerous communities were placed under evacuation orders.
14 Street W is the name of two major arterial roads and a short collector road in Calgary, Alberta. Separated by the Elbow River and the West Nose Creek valley. Originally proposed as a continuous route and north-south freeway, plans were cancelled in favor of 24 Street W, which became Crowchild Trail.
Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard are a pair of major arterial roadways in Edmonton, Alberta. Gateway Boulevard carries northbound traffic while Calgary Trail carries southbound traffic. From south of 31 Avenue, they form a two-way freeway separated by a median; for this portion, the roadway maintains the separate names for northbound and southbound traffic. Near 31 Avenue, Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard separate and become parallel one-way arterial roadways to Saskatchewan Drive, at the edge of the North Saskatchewan River valley. Designated as part of Highway 2 south of Whitemud Drive, it is Edmonton's main southern entrance and is both a major commuter route, connecting to the Edmonton International Airport and Leduc, as well as a regional connection to Red Deer and Calgary.