EDMONTON - The new Aurum Wildlife Crossing Bridge ensures that animals are not blocked from their path on the Clover Bar Creek and Ravine. The new span better links a huge industrial park with the Anthony Henday Drive and, ultimately, Fort McMurray.
It’s located just off the northeast portion of the henday near 17th Street.
The 40 million dollar project was a rare joint venture that saw the City of Edmonton build the roadway to create the Henday Junction, and private industry building the bridge that gives not only their 740 acre business park linkage to the city’s ring road, but also creates another route for commuters to make their way North out of Edmonton.
“It’s a partnership between the city and private industry that’s a little bit out of the ordinary, but the benefit to the city, in terms of opening up growth in this business area, is huge” said Mayor Don Iveson, at a special grand opening celebration of the project.
The bridge sits beside a six lane roadway that the developer of Aurum Energy Park created to run down the middle of the massive Industrial campus.
Ken Mariash of Focus Equities says there are about 10,000 workers who come to the business park daily. He says until now they had to contend with railway crossing delays, and traffic tie-ups.
Mariash adds that most importantly linking the Henday now gives a more direct route to Fort McMurray.
“The only way in and out of the east to west, out of the city, was the Yellowhead and it’s very, very pinched. Other than that, you’ve got a small road going through Fort Saskatchewan. So you are connecting the whole city, a million people, with the North,” said Mariash.
The developer says a next step in developing the area is to consult with businesses in the Industrial park to see what amenities they might want in the area. Hotels, restaurants and service stations are all being considered for the new junction.
