We visited the new footbridge between Edmonton and Strathcona County
A new footbridge just opened that connects Edmonton and Strathcona County, and we had to check out what this major link between a lengthy trail system was all about.
The pedestrian bridge connects 167th Avenue in northeast Edmonton with Township Road 540 in Strathcona County, forming a continuous trail from Leduc and Devon to Fort Saskatchewan via the Great Trail of Canada and the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw (Beaver Hill Road Trail).
It now completes a hefty link in a more than 100-kilometre trail system through six municipalities in the North Saskatchewan River valley.
We stopped by on a beautiful, warm, sunny day, and it was absolutely bustling with cyclists and runners alike.
Some construction work remains in the area, with limited parking available at the intersection of Township Road 540 and Range Road 232, according to Strathcona County.
Laine Mitchell/Daily Hive
Laine Mitchell/Daily Hive
The $38.6-million project was funded 50 per cent by the River Valley Alliance, with the remaining cost shared equally by the City of Edmonton and Strathcona County. Design work began in 2021.
Located just north of the new Northeast River Valley Park, which opened in 2023, the bridge includes shared-use pathways, gathering areas at each end and two lookout points offering stunning views of the river and the surrounding valley.
Laine Mitchell/Daily Hive
Laine Mitchell/Daily Hive
To support the project, Strathcona County is also building additional amenities along Township Road 540, including a parking lot, portable washrooms and a multi-use trail connection.
That work, partially funded by the federal government, is expected to be completed in 2025.
You can find out more about the trail network on the River Valley Alliance website.
Have you checked out this new footbridge between Edmonton and Strathcona County? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Allison Stephen