This release was issued under a previous government.
Beginning in October, construction crews will dismantle the Canadian Pacific Railway bridge that spans the Highwood River in High River.
The removal of the bridge and its footings will eliminate a bottleneck in the river and increase the flowing capacity of the Highwood.
“This step will help prevent future flooding. We need to do everything we can to protect this vibrant community from another disaster.”
“This bridge has been a recognizable landmark in High River for many years; however its removal is an important step in flood mitigation measures for the community.”
The original High River rail bridge was built in 1892 by the Calgary and Edmonton Railway. The current refurbished bridge has not carried any rail traffic since 2010. Over the past several weeks, crews have begun removing about 600 metres of railway track leading up to the bridge.
The Alberta government has arranged for Calgary-based Tervita to dismantle the railway bridge. Tervita has been working in High River since July 18 and, among other projects, has scalped about 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools of material from the town’s river system.
The dismantling of the bridge in addition to the river scalping should nearly double the flowing capacity of the Highwood in the years ahead and help protect the town from flooding.
Our government was elected to keep building Alberta, to live within its means and to fight to open new markets for Alberta’s resources. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.
Fast Facts
The High River Rail Bridge:
- is 157 feet long
- is 22 feet wide
- is 30 feet tall
- weighs about 500 tons
- consists of a steel frame, rail ties and a wooden deck
Multimedia
Canadian Pacific Railway bridge over the Highwood River in 2013
Highwood bridge in 1919, photo courtesy of the Museum of the Highwood
More historic images of the Highwood River rail bridge