Red Deer County
seeks partners
to afford bridge access
reprinted from Mountain View
Gazette (Sylvia Cole) April 17, 2012
Future work on the Mintlaw Bridge will require funding from other
associations, council heard last Tuesday.
The bridge, purchased by Red Deer County for $1, has since had
$205,000 invested in it for rehabilitation work while new estimates peg
opening it up to pedestrian traffic as much as $3.2 million.
Currently no one is allowed on or across the bridge which would
link to part of a regional trail system connecting from Highway 2A to Benalto.
During the April 10 regular council meeting, Mike Room with RC
Strategies reported to council about a recent Public Access and
Preservation Strategy.
The study identified what repairs are necessary to allow for
pedestrians and bicycle traffic and stakeholder and landowners' issues
and concerns.
While landowners' concerns were split -- 14 of 38 landowners said
they wanted to see public access, 13 said no and 11 said they were
unsure -- nine out of nine organizations said there should be access to
and across the bridge.
The cost, however, to allow access to and across the bridge is
estimated between $2.7 and $3.2 million with an estimated annual
operating and maintenance cost of $225,000 to $250,000.
Access across the bridge was one of four potential options
considered. The other options included disallow access, allow access to
a viewpoint and the third, access just onto the bridge.
While the study suggests access across would be best for the long
term, allowing for a trail to attract tourists and the general public,
it couldn't be done without assistance from other groups.
Jo-Ann Symington, community services manager, explained to council
that the county is accepting unsolicited proposals from potential
partner groups interested in helping with the capital and operating
costs.
Eligible groups and organizations include non-profits, local
government organizations, local economic development organizations and
corporate organizations.
News articles related to ACR/CPR Mintlaw bridge:
Commentary: Preservation Opportunity Not to be
Lost (Innisfail Province & Red
Deer Advocate June 2015)
News article: County council looks at bridge
as tourist attraction
(Red Deer Advocate April 2012)
News article: Plans for Mintlaw Bridge waiting
on public feedback
(Mountain View Gazette Feb.2012)
News article: Opposition comes forward to Mintlaw Bridge preservation
(Mountain View Gazette May 2011)
News article: Reinforcing our history
(Red Deer Advocate Mar.2011)
News article: Repairs planned for crumbling
CPR bridge
(Red Deer Advocate Feb.2011)
News article: RD County antes up for Mintlaw
Bridge repairs
(Mountain View Gazette Nov.2010)
News article: Bridging gap between history and
disrepair
(Red Deer Advocate Nov.2010)
News article: County buys bridge for a buck
(Red Deer Advocate Dec.2009)
News article: County buys historic railway bridge
(Red Deer Express Dec.2009)
News
article: Historic significance of concrete obelisk preserved in
mural (Red Deer Advocate Oct.2008)
Alberta Central Railway (CPR)
- Red Deer to Rocky
Mountain House
ACR/CPR Mintlaw Steel Trestle
Railway Bridges of Central Alberta
Alberta's Largest Railway Bridges
Largest Railway Bridges of Western Canada
Rails to Trails
Forth/Tuttle-Mintlaw-Sylvan
Lake Linear Park Proposal
Michael Dawe articles related to Alberta Central
Railway / CPR ACR branch heritage
A
look back at the Alberta Central Railway
(Red Deer Express Sept.2014)
Laurier's
1910 visit huge event for city
(Red Deer Express August 2010)
Mintlaw Bridge essential to region's railroad
heritage
(Red Deer Express March 2010)
Sir Wilfrid Laurier visited Red Deer
(Red Deer Advocate May 2010)
The origins of
Alberta Central Rail pillar
(Red Deer Express April 2008)
Alberta Central Railway helped open region
(Red Deer Advocate Special March 2007)
John T. Moore
(Red Deer Express Feb.2003)
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