11-01-2025, 06:01 PM
(11-01-2025, 04:24 PM)nms Wrote: Since the bridge is planned anyway, how much might it add to cost to add a pedestrian or MUT component on top? It offer a travel route between the Ken Seiling Museum and the Pioneer Tower (plus the Pioneer Tower neighbourhood).
From an engineering perspective it is entirely possible, you would just need a very significant stair/ramp structure on the Kitchener WWTP side which would increase the cost significantly. You'd still need one on the Pioneer Tower side but much smaller however given the existing slope you'd definitely have to do some extensive slope analysis.
Given we'd be building it as a barrier free ramp based on the OBC your ramp on the WWTP side would be around 160m long given maximum slopes and minimum landing requirements. The entire span across the Grand River is 75m, so your ramp structure alone would be more than twice the length of the Grand River span. On the Pioneer Tower side you'd be looking at a ramp of about 70m in length, which would require significant excavation of the existing park, assuming the Region doesn't use retaining walls.
Now cost wise you'd effectively be twinning the Grand River bridge and then adding a structure twice it's length, with associated larger foundation works for the main Grand River span, you'd easily be looking at tens of millions.
Keep in mind the pedestrian bridge along Avalon and Chandler cost 10 million (roughly) with a main span of 50m and roughly 5-6m off the ground with respect to highway grade, I don't have the design drawing anymore so I can't give a proper height, regardless this would be be way larger than that.