Spray River Bridge Re-opened

TransAlta is pleased to announce that the Spray River Bridge is now re-opened and is once again connecting popular cross-country ski trails (Goat Creek and Spray River West Side trails) in Banff National Park. Construction of the newly replaced and upgraded Spray River Bridge was completed on December 22, 2011 at 12 noon.

 

This summer, the Spray River Bridge at Goat Creek was proactively closed and removed for public safety by Parks Canada and TransAlta as a result of increased water flow from the Spray Lakes Reservoir. TransAlta assumed all costs for the replacement and upgrade of the bridge. The brand new structure, located 10 kilometres up the Spray River West Side Trail from the trailhead near the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, has a longer span to accommodate any future increases in water flow.

 

This is the earliest that the bridge replacement could have been completed due to the need to complete an Environmental Assessment, conceptual and safety planning, and a detailed engineering design. Delaying until after the cross-country ski season would have meant no Spray River Bridge access to the Goat Creek Trail for the entire winter. Also, post-winter replacement work would have required waiting until the after the springtime run-off, significantly affecting the summer trail offer on the Spray and Goat Creek Trails.

 

TransAlta would like to thank our contractors Rymad Engineering, and Bremner Engineering and Construction Ltd. who worked diligently in a remote location with difficult terrain and weather conditions in order to ensure that the new bridge would be in place in time for the busy holiday season. TransAlta would also like to thank Parks Canada for their assistance in communicating the temporary trail closure, and for their support and cooperation this fall.

 

With the new bridge in place, parks visitors, residents and winter enthusiasts can now enjoy almost 20 uninterrupted kilometers of trails along two of the most popular cross-country ski trails in Banff National Park.