Invest in Vision...

Elect R.J. for Mayor

More Background - Proposal I

The High Level Bridge is inadequate.  Access to cross has been denied to north bound vehicular traffic for decades.  Regular street car services were discontinued more than sixty years ago.  Passenger and freight trains can no longer cross the trestle. Roadway traffic volumes immediately north and south of the bridge exceed the current traffic flow on the High Level bridge itself.

Source: 2007 Traffic Flow Map - http://edmonton.ca/transportation/1420.aspx

 

If municipal airport land adjacent to; a major railroad yard, the Yellowhead freeway, an operating airport runway, and other major arterial roadways is touted as being great for developing then a building site in the heart of the city between two of Edmonton’s major commercial districts with access to existing LRT, the University, and a beautiful river valley park system should be even more desirable. 

Think of a walkable scenic boulevard with shops, markets, restaurants, independent artists, and diversity like a combination of The Grove and Hollywood Market in Los Angeles and the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder Colorado.

Given the opportunity, architects can come up with some incredible designs. It may be possible to incorporate commercial and residential spaces in supports below a bridge deck something like Safdie did in his Singapore design shown below.

I-1 Marina Bay Sands Curved Roof.jpg

Marina Bay Sands Skypark, Singapore.  Designed by Canadian architect Moshe Safdie.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/07/12/the-worlds-most-incredible-hotel-pool/ 

I-2 Marina-Bay-Sands-Architecture--Moshe-Safdie-Singapore-yatzer_19.jpg

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore with top deck spans stong enough to support an outdoor swimming pool that is three times the length of a normal olympic sized pool.

 

In addition to improving traffic flow the reconstruction of the High Level bridge would represent the first leg of what R.J.’s sees as a possible "Inner Loop". Such a loop would connect Jasper Avenue with Whyte Avenue at two crossing points that are at grade level with the top of the river bank . Doing so at 109 St. and later on at 102 St. would make good use of land in the heart of the city. R.J. believes that some bridges can do more for the city than just move cars.


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