SYDNEY FRASER
News Writer

An open house Sept. 14 at Victoria School gave community members a chance to speak out about the future of the Traffic Bridge.

The bridge, commonly known as Victoria Bridge, is currently closed as it is too dangerous to carry vehicles.

Four options remain for the future of the bridge: completely rebuilding a replica of the original bridge, creating a flat double-lane concrete bridge, putting up an elaborate “signature” bridge or keeping the bridge after conducting a complete rehabilitation.

All options are similar in cost except the signature bridge, which would cost more than double the others.

The choices would all have an 80-year useful life and would make use of the original piers.

At first, the public was given 10 options to ponder — five of which proposed making the bridge accessible to only pedestrians and cyclists. A survey taken after a June open house showed that a third of people preferred to keep the bridge free of vehicles.

City council’s decision to remove these options did not sit well with many of the citizens who attended the Sept. 14 meeting.

One anonymous discussion board comment read, “city council is making this process a sham.”

“There were 10 options developed in what to do for the bridge,” explained City Councillor Charlie Clark. “Then the bridge got closed down.

“Some councillors freaked out and basically thought that we shouldn’t let this process unfold as it is and give people the impression that we are open to any ideas,” Clark added. “We should tell people we only want options that have cars on it because some of the options got wiped out before the public had a choice to deliberate on them.”

The feeling of undermined public opinion was a major issue but perhaps more dear to people is the prospect of losing this historically significant bridge.

Built in 1908, the Traffic Bridge was the first bridge to cross Saskatoon’s riverbanks.Nearly 60 per cent of people at the open house chose restoring the bridge when asked which option was best. Only one commenter completely rejected the idea of keeping the bridge.

Most comments reflected that the $60 million bridge was too expensive to consider seriously.

Two new bridges will be built in the near future. A bridge that will complete the southern portion of Circle Drive has already begun construction and a northern bridge on 71st Street will soon follow. No information on these bridges was provided at the open house, so citizens were blind to these factors.

Lenore Swystun, chair of the Heritage Society, doesn’t agree with the removal of Victoria Bridge, especially to make room for a modern and extravagant bridge.

“The new bridge on the south side — make that your signature bridge. You’ve got a new north bridge coming — put your signature new bridge there. Why do you have to do that here? This is the heart of your city.”

While the decision is solely in the hands of the city councillors, citizens are encouraged to express their opinions on the city’s website.

The solution will be announced Nov. 9 and construction should start next year.

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image: Flickr