George C. King Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George C. King Bridge |
|
|---|---|
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Bow River |
| Locale | Calgary |
| Official name | George C. King Bridge |
| Other name(s) | Skipping Stone Bridge, St. Patrick's Island Bridge |
| Maintained by | City of Calgary |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel and Concrete |
| Total length | 182m |
| Width | varies |
| Height | varies |
| Number of spans | 3 |
| History | |
| Designer | RFR |
| Constructed by | Graham Construction |
| Construction begin | 2012 |
| Construction end | 2014 |
| Opened | October 20, 2014 |
The George C. King Bridge is a special bridge just for people walking and biking in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It crosses the Bow River and connects two neighborhoods: East Village and Bridgeland. It also gives you access to St. Patrick's Island Park, which is right in the middle of the river! People sometimes call it the Skipping Stone Bridge because of its cool shape, which looks like a stone bouncing across the water.
Building the Bridge
The George C. King Bridge was built by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC). It was part of a bigger plan to make the East Village neighborhood better. At the same time, St. Patrick's Island Park was also being updated.
Planning for this new bridge started in 2009. Construction began a few years later, in 2012. The bridge officially opened to the public on October 20, 2014. It is 182 meters long and made of strong steel and concrete.
The 2013 Flood and the Bridge
In June 2013, Calgary and many other parts of Alberta had very big floods. Rivers overflowed their banks, and about 75,000 people in Calgary had to leave their homes.
The George C. King Bridge was still being built when the flood happened. It was right over the Bow River. Some of the parts that supported the bridge were washed away by the strong river water. The new bridge deck, which was almost finished, bent and cracked.
After the flood, everyone decided that the damaged part of the bridge had to be replaced. This meant the project was delayed by more than a year. But just 16 months later, the bridge was finally opened. It was one of the first bridges damaged by the flood to be fixed and reopened, which was a big celebration!
