Traffic Bridge

The Traffic Bridge was a truss bridge that spanned South Saskatchewan River, connecting Victoria Avenue to 3rd Avenue South and Spadina Crescent in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Opened October 10, 1907, it was the first vehicle bridge in Saskatoon, replacing an unreliable ferry service. The promised construction of the bridge was considered a prime factor in the amalgamation of the towns of Saskatoon, Nutana and Riversdale. The Traffic Bridge was the only road bridge in Saskatoon until 1916, when the University Bridge was completed. In 2010, the bridge was permanently closed due to severe corrosion and was demolished by 2016. A new truss bridge, a replica of the original, is being constructed on the same site.NamesThe bridge is known both popularly and in official correspondence as the Traffic Bridge, originally distinguishing it from the QLLS/CN railway bridge just upstream and later becoming a proper noun in its own right . Although it is Saskatoon's oldest bridge, it was the last one to be formally named. On January 22, 2007, Saskatoon City Council voted to officially name it the "Traffic Bridge", on the recommendation of the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee, as a way to acknowledge its historic character and the vital role it played in the city's early history.The bridge has been referred to by various names since its construction. The most popular name is Victoria Bridge, given that Victoria Avenue runs right up to the bridge's east end. It has been called the 19th Street Bridge, although 19th street actually passes a block north of the bridge and connects with the northwest end of Broadway Bridge . Due to its colour, it has also been called the Black Bridge, although its most recent painting is a rather dark grey. It is also sometimes called the Iron Bridge and even the Short Hill Bridge after the Short Hill, down which Victoria Avenue comes.