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Information on Saskatoon Bridges

• Current operating budget is around $450k per year. This includes money for cleaning and small maintenance items inspections etc.
• Cost to build a new one would probably be in the neighborhood of $3000-$4000/m2 of deck area. (City of Saskatoon, Public Works)
  
• Traffic Bridge (Victoria Bridge / 19th Street Bridge):
  The Traffic Bridge was built starting in the fall of 1906 and was completed one year later. It officially opened on Oct. 10, 1907, and was built at a cost of $105,000.
  
• University Bridge (25th Street Bridge):
  Construction on the University Bridge began in 1913. It was completed after much delay in the fall of 1916 and officially opened on Oct. 31. The original tender was $250,000. However, the contractor under-bid the project and went broke near the end, forcing the provincial government to step in to complete it. The final price tag for construction was $520,000.00, of which the Provincial government paid 2/3 and the City 1/3.
  
  From the City Commissioner's Annual Report of 1916: "The total length of the bridge, between the extreme ends of wing approach walls, is 1,407 feet, and is built to a grade of 2.88 per cent, the east end of the bridge being 35 feet higher than the west end. The width of the bridge is 62 feet made up of two sidewalks, each 8 feet six inches wide and a carriage-way of 45 feet. The bridge is designed to carry a double line of street railway tracks, and contains a conduit for sewer, water and electric mains." (COS 1072-004, p. 43)

• Broadway Bridge:
  The Broadway Bridge was completed in the fall of 1932 and officially opened on November 11, 1932. It was designed and built locally, as a relief work project at a total cost of 850,000.00. It was cost shared by all three levels of government (fed - 50%, prov - 20%, city - 30%). Construction began late in 1931. The piers were poured during the winter. The approaches were built in the spring of 1932 and the arches completed that summer. The paving of roadways and sidewalks was done in the fall. There is a good piece on the Broadway Bridge in Elizabeth Diamond's "Saving Our City" (published by the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee and available at the Local History Room of the Saskatoon Public Library).
  
• Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge (Idylwyld Freeway Bridge):
  The sod-turning ceremony for the Idylwyld Freeway Bridge was held on February 5, 1965. It officially opened Oct. 28, 1966. It was built at a cost of 1.5 million dollars, which was shared 50-50 between the City and the Province. It was re-named after the late Senator Sid Buckwold (long time Mayor of Saskatoon) on September 24, 2001.(COS HST-027)
  
• Circle Drive Bridge (42nd Street Bridge):
  Construction of the Circle Drive Bridge began in [1981?]. The bridge was originally scheduled to open in the fall of 1982 but was delayed for variuos reasons, including labour disputes. It officially opened on July 1, 1983. The final price tag appears to have been 11 million dollars, but honestly I don't have records here for it so I can't be completely accurate. There was a newspaper clipping which gave that as its final cost. The newspaper article at the time of the official opening only gave the price tag of the whole bridge and circle drive extension, which was something like 37 million dollars. (COS 1101-005).
  
  The City Clerks Office (975-3240) or the Library's Local History Room (975-7578) might be able to track that down for you. We also have a very significant clippings collection dedicated to City Planning issues from1953-1995 that this researcher might find useful.
  
  (From correspondance with Jeff O'Brien, City Archivist)