March 7, 2019
Wider design also allows for emergency vehicle and snow plow access to the park
Located south of Calgary, Alberta, the Town of Okotoks has a water treatment plant in Sheep River Park, a low-lying area along the river. The plant is often cut-off during floods and, on a couple of occasions, a helicopter had to be used to get maintenance workers and equipment on site. Thanks to an Alberta Community Resilience Program grant, the Town was able to move forward with a bridge to keep the plant connected, no matter what the conditions.
Bridge also provided barrier-free access to trail system
The bridge was originally planned to connect the roof of the plant with the escarpment on the south side as a service access only. However, with the Town committing some additional funds, they were able to rethink their initial plan and move the bridge to another location and gain barrier-free public park access by eliminating a stairway. Previously, those with mobility issues, bicycles or strollers could only access the park from the north side.
AIL is proud to have been selected to design and supply the 50 m Pedestrian Truss Bridge that made that connection.
Wider 4 m design required some field assembly
At 4 m wide, this Parallel Chord Truss design was one of the widest Pedestrian Bridges that we had manufactured in our Thorndale, Ontario facility. This required shipping the two side trusses and the floor beams as separate components for field assembly.
The wider design also allows for emergency vehicle and snow plow access to the park. The older metal stairway was difficult to keep clear in winter and tended to ice up.
Despite not having installed many bridges like this before, Ellis-Don showed great professionalism and prowess — making a quick job of it and ensuring all parties were satisfied.
