COCHRANE— Cochrane’s long-awaited Jack Tennant Memorial Bridge will soon be open to the public.
The Jack Tennant Memorial Bridge has been “a long time in the making,” said Mayor Jeff Genung.
Construction on the project kicked-off in 2018, he said, after being in the works since 2002 when studies began to find a place for a crossing over the Bow River.
The bridge cost $53 million to construct and was delivered on time and on budget. It was funded using off-site levies and provincial MSI grants.
The new bridge has been named after long-time Cochrane resident and Cochrane Eagle founder Jack Tennant who died in 2018.
The finished bridge includes two traffic lanes, a three metre-wide multi-use pathway and a lookout area above the eastern pier.
“It is a long-needed second connection across the river,” Genung said. “There’s always been a safety concern if there’s been an accident on the current bridge, which has happened a couple times in the past few years, then really Cochrane residents, tourists or trade have no other route but to go way west and around through Morley or go through Calgary.”
The bridge will provide a second access for EMS, while also creating an additional option for travelling between the north to south sides of Cochrane.
To celebrate the opening of the Jack Tennant Memorial Bridge a COVID-19 friendly celebration has been planned on Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Traffic will be able to cross the bridge starting on Oct. 16.
The grand opening will be a party to celebrate the crossing and bring the community together after a year of being socially distanced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s the largest capital project the Town has ever done— We need to celebrate that,” Genung said. “We were always planning to do something special.”
Genung has spoken with the Social Recovery Task Force and other stakeholders in Town and the consensus was to put a special touch on the bridge opening as many events in Town have been cancelled or postponed.
Festivities include fireworks on the opening day and two days of celebratory light shows.
Now that the bridge is completed, Cochrane Council will be focused on working on other projects that will help alleviate traffic mitigation issues in Cochrane— This includes working with the province in regards to the Highway 1A and Highway 22 intersection.
“Council is well aware traffic is a top priority for residents— We have plans in place,” Genung said. He added the Town is working to find better ways to communicate with residents what infrastructure plans are in the works for the community. “If people know what’s being planned they can plan for it and at least understand what we are doing, and where the money is going and what the timing is— And then see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
Genung added the bridge is unique in comparison to other infrastructure projects in Cochrane because it has been built solely under the guidance of the Town.
Projects like the Highway 1A and Highway 22 intersection are under the control of the provincial government, he said, and the Town is working to push for upgrades to take place. The province has confirmed the intersection project will receive funding and construction will soon begin.
“They're just working through their process," Genung said. "It’s just taking longer than what most of us have patience for."
