Broadway Bridge, Concrete deck arch bridge in Saskatoon, Canada
Broadway Bridge is an arch bridge over the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, carrying Broadway Avenue on the east shore to 19th Street and 4th Avenue downtown. It is the city's steepest bridge, with a 4% grade, and its highest, standing 24 metres above the river.
Work on the bridge started in 1932 as part of a public employment program during the Great Depression. The construction ran around the clock in shifts to keep as many workers employed as possible.
The bridge takes its name from Broadway Avenue, which it meets on the east shore; the city once considered renaming it George V Bridge for the King. Joni Mitchell, who spent part of her childhood and teens in Saskatoon, names the bridge in her song Cherokee Louise, and the Bessborough Hotel, associated with the bridge, appears in her self-portrait on the Clouds album cover.
The bridge is open to vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, with walkways running alongside the road on both sides. A stop along the way offers an open view over the river, which can be worth a moment during a walk through the area.
The bridge was designed by Chalmers Jack MacKenzie, who was serving as Dean of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan at the time he took on the project. It is rare for a university dean to step in directly as the designer of a public infrastructure project.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,449 contributors worldwide.