Traffic Bridge (Saskatoon)

Traffic Bridge
Original Traffic Bridge over the South Saskatchewan River
Coordinates	52°7′18″N 106°39′48″W / 52.12167°N 106.66333°W / 52.12167; -106.66333Coordinates: 52°7′18″N 106°39′48″W / 52.12167°N 106.66333°W / 52.12167; -106.66333
Carries	2 lanes of Victoria Avenue/3rd Avenue South
Crosses	South Saskatchewan River
Locale	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Official name	Traffic Bridge
Other name(s)	Victoria Bridge 19th Street Bridge Iron Bridge Black Bridge Short Hill Bridge
Maintained by	City of Saskatoon
Preceded by	Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge
Followed by	Broadway Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Parker truss bridge
Material	Steel, wood, concrete
Total length	289.8 metres (951 ft)
Width	5.95 metres (19.5 ft)
No. of spans	(original) 5; (replica) 4
Piers in water	3
History
Designer	Saskatchewan Department of Public Works
Constructed by	(original) John D. Gunn and Sons Ltd.; (replica) Graham Construction & Engineering Inc.
Fabrication by	Canadian Bridge Company/McDiarmid Company
Construction start	(original) August 1906; (replica) August 2016
Construction end	(original) October 10, 1907; (replica) projected October 2018
Opened	October 10, 1907
Closed	August 24, 2010

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.

The 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 (the railway bridge was built in 1890 and demolished in 1965 when the rail line and downtown yards were removed; the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge now crosses the river at its former location). 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 (this name made more sense prior to the construction of Broadway Bridge, when the streetcar line came down 19th street before turning onto the 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.

The Traffic Bridge came into being when residents of Nutana agreed to merge with the town of Saskatoon and the village of Riversdale to form a city. As a condition of their joining with the other two communities, they demanded that a bridge be built for foot and vehicular traffic. Up to then, the only way to cross the river was on an unreliable ferry, or a difficult and sometimes dangerous walk across the QLLS railway bridge. The province provided funding and John Gunn and Sons was selected as the contractor. On October 10, 1907, the Traffic Bridge officially opened.