When “the 100-year flood” hit southern Alberta in 2013, the Siksika First Nation, southeast of Calgary, was one of the worst-hit areas with unprecedented damage to homes and infrastructure. Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, a designated national heritage site and a major tourism attraction in the area, had lost two pedestrian stream crossings in the flood.
AIL Pedestrian Bridges reunite river trails
Pedestrian Bridge solutions from AIL were selected for the two replacement projects. Each bridge was delivered in two sections to facilitate on-site transport from the lay-down area to the stream crossings — one of which was about 1 km away down a narrow trail.
The contractor on this project, Nitro Construction Ltd., showed great patience and agility in maneuvering the bridge sections through the tight trails. Once on site, they also did a great job installing their first-ever pedestrian bridges in just two hours for each crossing. Temporary wood cribbing facilitated mid-air splicing of the sections using only one piece of lifting equipment.
“We had great support from the sales staff. Communication was open and timely. The deliveries arrived on schedule and the product was as specified. I was particularly pleased with the quick turnaround regarding engineering support for my design as well as for the contractor regarding erection information.”
– Ron Smith, P.Eng.
