CALGARY -- After an inspection revealed a significant safety issue in a pedestrian bridge in the southwest Calgary community of Eau Claire, officials ordered it closed down.
Officials announced the Jaipur Bridge would be closed to the public Saturday after a recent inspection found "accelerated deterioration" in the structure.
According to the city, water and salt accumulation has resulted in a number of faults in the bridge.
The bridge, which was built in 1968, is a primary connection between Eau Claire and Prince's Island Park.
It has been inspected on an annual basis since 2012 and, based on the latest inspection undertaken this month, officials found a number of reasons to be concerned about public safety.
As a result, the pedestrian bridge was immediately closed and a third-party inspection was ordered.
"From that assessment, we will determine what can be done to safely extend the use of the bridge until its scheduled closure in August," said Charmaine Buhler, bridge maintenance manager at the Calgary Roads department in a release.
The city budgeted $9.6 million to replace the bridge, which has reached the end of its lifespan, and install flood mitigation measures for the 2 Street S.W. bridge, due east from Jaipur.
Staff are currently in the design phase for a new bridge with construction expected to begin in 2020.
An initial design was released at a public open house in October, but residents didn't like it, saying it was "too large" and didn't fit with the area.
"They want something that blends with the environment better than this particular option,” Katherine Hikita, a project manager with the city, told CTV News at the time.
Jaipur Bridge is scheduled to be demolished in August 2020 and officials expect to have a new bridge in place by July 1, 2021.
Three other pedestrian walkways leading into Prince's Island Park are still open and visitors will be notified about detours with proper signage.
Full details about the Jaipur Bridge project can be found online.
