Borden Bridge on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Borden Bridge is an abandoned
In 1985 the bridge was closed to vehicles; a newer dual-span bridge built immediately north of the old bridge now carries the highway traffic. In 2007 the bridge was sold by the provincial government to Orville Middleton at a price of $33,000; he indicated that his plans were to turn the bridge into an open-air dance hall. The Saskatchewan Architectural Heritage Society expressed strong concern over this proposed use for the bridge. As of 2012, the bridge still had not been converted because the
Historical Engineering Details
Bridges completed in 1936 Concrete bridges in Canada Corman Park No. 344, Saskatchewan Bridges over the North Saskatchewan River Great Bend No. 405, Saskatchewan Pedestrian bridges in Saskatchewan Road bridges in Saskatchewan
arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...
that spans across the North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows event ...
near Borden, Saskatchewan
Borden ( 2021 population: ) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Great Bend No. 405 and Census Division No. 16. Borden is named after Sir Frederick William Borden, Minister of Militia in the ...
, Canada. The bridge used to carry vehicular traffic from Saskatchewan Highway 16
Highway 16 is a Numbered highways in Canada, provincial highway in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The highway represents the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway. It runs ...
, but is now open to foot traffic only.
History
The bridge was constructed as a "make-work" project during theGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. It was built in 1936 by the contractor R.J. Arrand Construction Co. and was designed by Chalmers Jack (C. J.) MacKenzie (on leave from being Dean of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...
). Plans from 1929 called for a steel segmental truss bridge, however these were abandoned for a more labour-intensive concrete bridge employing local farmers in the region.
In 1985 the bridge was closed to vehicles; a newer dual-span bridge built immediately north of the old bridge now carries the highway traffic. In 2007 the bridge was sold by the provincial government to Orville Middleton at a price of $33,000; he indicated that his plans were to turn the bridge into an open-air dance hall. The Saskatchewan Architectural Heritage Society expressed strong concern over this proposed use for the bridge. As of 2012, the bridge still had not been converted because the rural municipality
A rural municipality is a classification of municipality, a type of local government, found in several countries.
These include:
* Rural municipality (Canada), Rural municipalities in Canada, a Lists of municipalities in Canada, type of municipa ...
would not approve this use. Middleton stated that he would donate the bridge and surrounding land to the Canadian Wildlife Federation
The Canadian Wildlife Federation () (CWF) is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation.
History and mission
The Canadian Wildlife Federation was founded in 1961 and chartered in 1962.
The Canadian Wildlife Federatio ...
if the dance hall idea would not happen. He also expressed interest in decorating the bridge with some of the salvaged LED lights taken from the Traffic Bridge
The Traffic Bridge is the name given to two truss bridges constructed across the South Saskatchewan River, connecting Victoria Avenue to 3rd Avenue South and Spadina Crescent in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The original bridge opened on Oc ...
in Saskatoon. Eight years after buying the bridge, Middleton put it up for sale in 2015 for $1 million, having never been granted approval for his dance hall. As of 2019, the bridge remains unsold.
See also
*List of bridges in Canada
This is a list of bridges and viaducts in Canada, including those for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
Historical and architectural interest bridges
There are only a few covered bridges left in Canada. In Quebec, despite over 1,200 existing ...
* List of crossings of the North Saskatchewan River
This is a list of crossings of the North Saskatchewan River in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta from the river's confluence with the South Saskatchewan River upstream to its source.
Saskatchewan
Alberta
See also
*Li ...
* Borden Bridge Recreation Site
References
{{reflistExternal links
Historical Engineering Details
Bridges completed in 1936 Concrete bridges in Canada Corman Park No. 344, Saskatchewan Bridges over the North Saskatchewan River Great Bend No. 405, Saskatchewan Pedestrian bridges in Saskatchewan Road bridges in Saskatchewan