terwillegar park footbridge
edmonton, alberta, canada
Donald MacDonald Architects collaborated with Stantec Engineers to design the new Terwillegar Park Footbridge. With a concrete bridge deck just 40 centimeters thick, it will cut a pencil thin line from one bank to the other, draping like an old-fashioned rope suspension bridge between two pillars in the water. IT's the first time the technology has come to Edmonton, and only the second time in Canada. It is the second longest bridge of its type in the world.
The stressed ribbon bridge is similar to a suspension bridge except that the cables are inside the deck and that it gives it a very slender appearance. The $24 million Bridge will connect pedestrians and cyclists in Terwillegar Park with the paths over the river. It's one of the last pieces needed to create a continuous river valley pathway from Fort Saskatchewan to Devon. The Terwillegar span features a minimalist design that does not distract from the surrounding scenery.