Shaganappi Pedestrian Overpass

Shaganappi Pedestrian Overpass is a 196.9 ft long crossing (157.5 ft main span) over the upgraded Bow Trail in Calgary.  It is located within the Shaganappi Neighborhood and will become a major crossing in the multi-use trail system, giving residents unrestricted access to the Douglas Fir Park trail system along the riverfront to the north and the Shaganappi Park to the south. 

The footbridge concept was developed as a prescriptive reference concept for the City of Calgary, which had the desire to build an economical crossing that is highly aesthetic over the widened road and railway.   The arch form follows the curve of an ellipse that is rotated 10-degrees about the axis of the roadway to create a striking appearance that is consistent with the architecture of the new light rail stations.    

The City of Calgary retained Hatch Mott MacDonald to provide services on the Shaganappi Pedestrian Bridge as part of a larger project to extend light rail service into the western neighborhoods of Calgary. HMM developed a reference concept and design guidelines for the pedestrian bridge that met the many site requirements while placing an emphasis on creating a unique solution.

Project Hghlights:

• Aesthetic arch bridge design in steel and concrete
• Economical solution that focuses on constructability
• Sculpted abutment retaining wall at north end used to support ends of arches
• Graceful trail system that smoothly connects the bridge with the surrounding community
• Gateway structure of the Calgary West Light Rail Transit Project
• Developed design guidelines for overpass and trail system