Selkirk Lift Bridge is a Vertical-Lift Bridge in Selkirk, Manitoba spanning the Red River. The Canadian government built the bridge as a work relief project during the Great Depression.

History

Necessity for the bridge

Before 1934, the residents of Selkirk, and the nearby rural municipality of St. Clements wished to have a bridge connecting the two towns, instead of relying on a busy ferry service to traverse the Red River. However, in 1934, the Canadian government allotted $40 million to a national infrastructure program to uplift workers unemployed due to the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Arthur J. Taunton, an assistant engineer for the Federal Department of Public Works of Winnipeg placed the location of the bridge in Eaton Avenue, in Selkirk. However, the Province of Manitoba refused to fund the project, forcing the bridge to act as a toll bridge, and a petition against the formation of a toll bridge was sent to the government on June 16, 1936.

Ownership and construction

Macaw and Macdonalds were chosen as the contractors for the project, the

superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...

was awarded to Dominion Bridge of Winnipeg, and on March 31, 1935, the bridge was constructed at a cost of $250,000. As the bridge was being built, no government entity wished to take ownership of the bridge, as that would mean purchasing for its cost and maintenance. Due to confusion and unwillingness to own and operate the bridge, the bridge was raised above its deck to deter any crossing, and timbers were placed across the bridge. A local man named Ed Maloney lowered the bridge, and opened it to traffic. Later, the bridge was raised by a bit allowing only pedestrians to cross and disabling vehicles to go through the bridge, but was later lowered again. The bridge was administered by the Rural Municipality of St. Clements, Selkirk, but ownership was transferred to the Province of Manitoba when the bridge was converted into Manitoba Provincial Road 204.

Closure and reopening

During the 1970s, due to the age of the bridge, multiple repairs were completed on the bridge. In the year 1990, an official of the Provincial Highways Department described the bridge's condition as being in a "disgraceful condition". On January 6, 1992, the bridge closed for repairs worth $2.8 million, and was reopened on September 12, 1992.

Image gallery

File:Selkirk Bridge, River Rd, Selkirk - panoramio (1).jpg, alt=, The deck of the bridge File:2009 Red River flood at Selkirk4.JPG, alt=, The Selkirk Lift Bridge during the 2009 Red River Flood File:Veterans Memorial Park, Selkirk (450040) (9443714563) (2).jpg, alt=, The view of the bridge from Veterans Memorial Park, at Selkirk File:Selkirk Bridge, River Rd, Selkirk - panoramio.jpg, alt=, Side view of the bridge File:Selkirk Lift Bridge.jpg, View of the lift span

References