Bow River Pedestrian Bridge and Utility Crossing

The first new crossing of Banff’s Bow River since a 1920s-era vehicle overpass, this project addressed the pressing need for emergency vehicle access, increased pedestrian traffic in Canada’s oldest national park, and replaced ageing sanitary and water pipes installed under the river.

The client’s goal was to create a minimal and unimposing design, while using sustainable materials. While wood is a rare choice for a structure so long and slender, Fast + Epp and Structure Craft’s experience with similar projects allowed the design team to develop a durable timber solution with a 75-year design life.

The resulting 113m-long timber bridge features an 80m clear span – one of the longest of its kind. It is comprised of three distinct segments: two haunch glulam girders on either side and a removable, modular timber deck (allowing for ease of replacement and access to the service pipes running beneath). At just 4m wide, a key consideration was controlling vibrations from walking and jogging; two uniquely-tuned mass dampers were suspended beneath the bridge to reduce dynamic forces.

A remote site and extreme winter temperatures further added to the project’s difficulty, however, extensive prefabrication allowed pieces to be shipped to site and assembled on the shoreline – the entire superstructure was erected in two days.