{{short description|Bridge in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox bridge | bridge_name = Quesnell Bridge | image = 2008-05-19 Quesnell Bridge 003.jpg | caption = Quesnell Bridge looking south | official_name = | carries = Motor vehicles, pedestrians | crosses = North Saskatchewan River | locale = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | maint = City of Edmonton | id = | design = | mainspan = | length = {{cvt|319.8|m}}<ref>{{Structurae|id=20011710}}</ref> | width = | clearance below deck = | traffic = 123,012 (2023)<ref name="AAWDT Volume Data">{{cite web | title=AAWDT | website=Google Docs | url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_W1_jGlAwSFDgRQmvakx4wJ8sive8sjZJFwtCyvS_3U/edit#gid=0 | access-date=August 8, 2024}}</ref> | open = November 19, 1968<ref name="opening"/> | cost = | closed = | map_cue = | map_image = | map_text = | map_width = | coordinates = {{coord|53|30|23.26|N|113|34|00.5|W|region:CA-AB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} }}
The '''Quesnell Bridge''' is a girder bridge that spans the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is part of Edmonton's southern freeway, Whitemud Drive. An average of 120,000 cars pass over the bridge every day.<ref name="traffic">{{cite news |title=Major road closures start Sunday |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/major-road-closures-start-sunday-1.823448 |date=February 27, 2009 |website=CBC News |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240702060958/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/major-road-closures-start-sunday-1.823448 |url-status=live}}</ref> The bridge connects the communities of Brookside and Brander Gardens on the south end to Quesnell Heights and Laurier Heights on the north end. The bridge is the widest road bridge in Edmonton with 8 total lanes (4 westbound and 4 eastbound)
Located directly to the southeast of the bridge's southern head is the ''Talus Dome'', a public sculpture comprising roughly 1000 silver balls that was erected in 2011 at the cost of $600,000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staples |first=David |date=2011-11-15 |title=Meet the Talus Dome: the most expensive, the most exposed and the best public sculpture in the history of Edmonton |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/meet-the-talus-dome-the-most-expensive-the-most-exposed-and-the-best-public-sculpture-in-the-history-of-edmonton#:~:text=Even%20though%20it%20was%20done,highway%20and%20quiet%20North%20Saskatchewan. |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=Edmonton Journal}}</ref>
==History== In 1950, Philip Louis Pratley, who was serving as Edmonton's cross-river structure consultant, recommended five new bridges to be built in the city including one at 142 Street.<ref>{{cite news |title=Expert Recommends City Build Five More Bridges |date=April 10, 1950 |newspaper=Edmonton Journal |page=1, 14}}</ref> On December 12, 1966, city council approved the Quesnell bridge plan at a cost of $8.8 million.<ref name="plan">{{cite news |title=Quesnell Bridge Plan Approved |date=December 13, 1966 |newspaper=Edmonton Journal |page=12}}</ref> Construction on the bridge began in June 1967 with a tentative opening on October 31, 1968.<ref name="plan"/> However, it was delayed due to a wet weather in the summer<ref>{{cite news |title=Bridge opening faces delay |date=October 5, 1968 |newspaper=Edmonton Journal |page=37}}</ref> before the bridge officially opened on November 19, 1968.<ref name="opening">{{cite news |author=Campbell, Tom |title=Quesnell span opens |date=November 20, 1968 |newspaper=Edmonton Journal |page=63}}</ref> It was originally designed to carry five-lanes of traffic with a 4.5 metre wide sidewalk on the east side for pedestrian and bridle path usage.<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Edmonton Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for the Quesnell Bridge |url=https://pievc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/appendix_b.5_city_of_edmonton_quesnell_bridge_refurbishment.pdf |date=March 31, 2008 |page=11 |website=PIEVC |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411050029/https://pievc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/appendix_b.5_city_of_edmonton_quesnell_bridge_refurbishment.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2008, the city announced a project to widen the bridge, Whitemud Drive, and Fox Drive, adding capacity projected to be sufficient until 2058.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quesnell Bridge & Whitemud Drive Widening & Rehabilitation Project |url=http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/roads_traffic/quesnell-bridge-and-whitemud-drive-widening-rehabilitation-project.aspx |publisher=City of Edmonton|access-date=August 17, 2009 |archive-date=June 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616183857/http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/roads_traffic/quesnell-bridge-and-whitemud-drive-widening-rehabilitation-project.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref> It was completed in September 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Quesnell Bridge finally open to all traffic |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/quesnell-bridge-finally-open-to-all-traffic-1.1031984 |date=September 26, 2011 |website=CBC News |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-date=May 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507093231/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/quesnell-bridge-finally-open-to-all-traffic-1.1031984 |url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2010 during excavation for a sewer-pipeline line several fossils were unearthed about {{convert|27|m|abbr=on}} below ground level. They were believed to be fossils from two extinct genera, ''Edmontosaurus'' and ''Albertosaurus''.<ref name="Edmonton Bones1">{{cite news|last=Sunger|first=Sonia|title=Local dinosaur find generates a flurry of excitement |publisher=CTV Edmonton|date=August 23, 2010 |url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/local-dinosaur-find-generates-a-flurry-of-excitement-1.545441|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204092331/http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/local-dinosaur-find-generates-a-flurry-of-excitement-1.545441|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 4, 2017|access-date=August 26, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Edmonton Bones">{{cite news|last=Landry|first=Frank|url=http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/08/23/15117496.html |title=Edmonton crews find dinosaur bones deep under the city |access-date=August 26, 2010|newspaper=Toronto Sun|date=August 23, 2010 |archive-date=August 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824081835/https://torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/08/23/15117496.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
== See also == * List of crossings of the North Saskatchewan River * List of bridges in Canada
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110616183912/http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/roads_traffic/current-road-projects.aspx Current Road Projects]
{{s-start}} {{s-bef|before=Fort Edmonton Footbridge}} {{s-ttl|title=Bridge across the<br>North Saskatchewan River}} {{s-aft|after=Pedestrian bridge}} {{s-bef|before=Anthony Henday Drive Highway Bridge}} {{s-ttl|title=Road bridge across the<br>North Saskatchewan River}} {{s-aft|after=Groat Bridge}} {{end}}
Category:Bridges in Edmonton Category:Road bridges in Alberta