Low Level Bridge

The Low Level Bridge is a bridge that spans the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Completed in 1900, this was the first bridge across the North Saskatchewan River.[1] A railway track was added in 1902 to accommodate the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway (amalgamated with the Canadian Northern Railway in 1905).[2]

This article is about the bridge in Edmonton. For the former bridge in Virginia, see Low Level Bridge (Fairmont, West Virginia).

Low Level Bridge
Coordinates	53°32′17″N 113°29′13″W
Carries	Motor vehicles, pedestrians
Crosses	North Saskatchewan River
Locale	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Official name	Low Level Bridge
Heritage status	Edmonton Register of Historic Resources, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering National Historic Engineering site
Characteristics
Design	Through Pratt truss
Total length	213.1 m (699 ft) (northbound) 211.7 m (695 ft) (southbound)
No. of spans	4
Piers in water	3
History
Opened	1900 1948 (south span)
Low Level Bridge Location in Edmonton

Streetcars used the bridge (on a gauntlet track) from 1908 to 1939.[3] Trolley buses used the bridge from the removal of the streetcar track in 1939 until 1965.[3]

Originally known simply as the Edmonton Bridge or the Inter-Urban Bridge (connecting the towns of Strathcona and Edmonton), the bridge became known as the Low Level Bridge some time after the completion of the High Level Bridge.

In 1948 a twin span was added upstream of the original span, and northbound traffic was put onto the old bridge and southbound put onto the new.

The railway track was removed from the original span in 1954.[1]

The Low Level Bridge connects the communities of Cloverdale on the south end to Rossdale/Downtown on the north end.

References

1. Vanterpool, Alan (2014). Rivers and Rails: Central Alberta's Transcontinental Railways. Edmonton and District Historical Society.
2. Lane, Dennis. "First train into Edmonton". Provincial Archives of Alberta. A15485.
3. Colin H Hatcher; Tom Schwartzkopf (1983). Edmonton’s Electric Transit: The Story of Edmonton’s Streetcars and Trolley Buses. Railfare Enterprises. ISBN 091913033X.

External links

• Low Level Bridge at Structurae

Preceded by James MacDonald Bridge	Bridge across the North Saskatchewan River	Succeeded by Pedestrian bridge
	Road bridge across the North Saskatchewan River	Succeeded by Dawson Bridge