Peace Bridge (Calgary) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Peace Bridge

Coordinates	51°03′14″N 114°04′44″W / 51.05389°N 114.07883°W / 51.05389; -114.07883 (Peace Bridge)
Carries	Pedestrian pathway, bike path
Crosses	Bow River
Official name	Peace Bridge
Maintained by	City of Calgary
Characteristics
Design	Double helix tubular truss
Material	Steel
Total length	Out to Out 130.6 meters (428 ft)
Width	6.2 meters (20 ft)
Height	5.85 meters (19.2 ft)
Number of spans	1
Piers in water	0
History
Designer	Santiago Calatrava
Constructed by	Graham Group Ltd.
Construction begin	March 2010
Construction end	March 2012
Opened	2012-03-24

The Peace Bridge is a special bridge in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It helps people walk and cycle across the Bow River. A famous Spanish architect named Santiago Calatrava designed it. The bridge opened on March 24, 2012.

Many people call it the "Finger Trap Bridge." This is because it looks a lot like the finger trap puzzle.

The City of Calgary built this bridge. It connects the pathways on the south side of the Bow River to Downtown Calgary. It also links to the pathways on the north side and the community of Sunnyside. This connection was made to help more people who walk or bike to work. It also connects to Calgary's popular pathway system. About 6,000 people use the bridge every day. In 2012, it was named one of the top 10 architectural projects and public spaces.

Bridge Design
Bridge Cost
Bridge History
Images for kids
See also

Bridge Design

The Peace Bridge has a unique design. It had to follow some strict rules.

It has no support pillars in the water. This helps protect the river environment.
The bridge could not be too tall. This was because of a nearby heliport (a place where helicopters land).

Design Goals

The bridge was also designed to meet several important goals:

It can handle Calgary's "one-in-100-year" flood. This means it can survive very big floods.
It is built to last for at least 75 years.
People of all abilities can use it easily. This means it is accessible for everyone.
It has good lighting. This makes it safe and comfortable to use at night.

Unique Look

The Peace Bridge looks different from many of Calatrava's other designs. His bridges often have tall masts and are not symmetrical. This bridge is also special because of its color. Most of Calatrava's designs are white. But the Peace Bridge is red and white. These are the colors of both the Flag of Canada and the Flag of Calgary.

Key Features

Here are some cool things about the Peace Bridge:

It has a spiral (helical) steel structure. It also has a glass roof. The steel part weighs 850 metric tonnes.
It is 6.3 meters wide. This is twice as wide as other walking bridges nearby.
It has separate paths for bikes and people walking.
It has special lights for use after dark.

Materials and Size

The main materials used for the bridge are:

Steel for the arches.
Reinforced concrete for the ends (abutments) and the deck (the part you walk on).

Here are its measurements:

The main tube part is 126 meters (413 ft) long.
The total length from end to end is 130.6 meters (428 ft).
Its total width is 8 meters (26 ft).
The total height is 5.85 meters (19.2 ft).
Inside, it is 6.2 meters (20 ft) wide. The walking path is 3.7 meters (12 ft) and the bike path is 2.5 meters (8.2 ft).

Bridge Cost

The City of Calgary paid for the Peace Bridge using its capital budget. This money is set aside for big building projects. The city decided to build this bridge because it helps people walk and bike in busy areas. This way of moving people is good for the environment and helps with city planning.

The total cost for the Peace Bridge was about $22.5 million.

Building the bridge cost about $18 million.
Design and engineering cost about $3.9 million.
Project management and other costs were about $2.6 million.

Bridge History

The idea for the Peace Bridge started on September 8, 2008. The Calgary City Council approved a plan to spend $25 million on two new bridges across the Bow River. The Peace Bridge was the first one built.

Construction began in March 2010. Workers first built a temporary structure next to where the bridge would go. They used this temporary spot to put together the bridge pieces.

The main tube sections of the bridge were made in Spain. Then, they were shipped all the way to Calgary. Workers started putting the pieces together in Calgary in the fall of 2010. The bridge was moved into its final position across the Bow River in November 2011.

During a check, some of the welds (where metal parts are joined) were found not to be perfect. The city hired another company to check all the welds from Spain very carefully. These extra checks, along with some issues with the steel's look and damaged concrete, caused delays.

The bridge was supposed to open in the fall of 2010. But because of these issues, it finally opened to the public on March 24, 2012.

To celebrate Canada Day 150, a special art project called the RedBall Project was placed inside the Peace Bridge for one day. This happened on June 26, 2017.