High Level Bridge, Multi-level bridge in Edmonton, Canada
The High Level Bridge crosses the North Saskatchewan River with a steel structure supported by concrete piers that rise roughly 160 feet above the water. The upper level carries pedestrian and bicycle traffic, while the lower level handles vehicular movement.
Designed from the outset for rail, streetcars, automobiles and pedestrians, the bridge was built by John Gunn and Sons of Winnipeg; its upper deck was completed in May 1913. The first CPR train crossed on 2 June 1913, streetcars followed on 11 August, and the City of Edmonton took ownership in 1994 before designating it a Municipal Historic Resource in 1995.
The bridge's upper deck carries a single middle track used only by the High Level Bridge Streetcar, a historic route run by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society between Whyte Avenue and Jasper Plaza, with four intermediate stops. The last regular Edmonton Transit streetcar crossed on September 1, 1951.
Trucks are banned because the lower deck clearance is 3.2 metres and the lanes are narrow. Traffic on that deck runs one-way southbound: 109 Street feeds the left lane at the north end, 110 Street the right. The upper deck carries a shared-use trail for pedestrians and cyclists, and bridge strikes are common, so watch overhead clearances.
The upper deck's single remaining track is used only by the High Level Bridge Streetcar, run by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society between Whyte Avenue and Jasper Plaza with four intermediate stops. The last regular Edmonton Transit streetcar crossed in 1951, and CPR freight stopped using the span in 1989.
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