Sidney L. Buckwold Bridge (Saskatoon)
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| Official name | Sidney L. Buckwold Bridge |
|---|---|
| Crosses | South Saskatchewan River |
| Locale | Saskatoon |
| Maintained by | City of Saskatoon |
| Opening date | 1966 |
Sidney L. Buckwold Bridge is a bridge that spans the South Saskatchewan River between west and east shore Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was built in 1966. The bridge is part of the Idylwyld Freeway which was constructed at the same time. The former CNR Bridge was torn down to make way for this bridge; the act of dynamiting the original piers of the CNR Bridge became something of a spectacle as demolition experts were unable to completely destroy them.
Construction of the bridge was one of several simultaneous, interconnected major projects that occurred in Saskatoon during the mid-to-late 1960s. Related projects included: the construction of the Midtown Plaza shopping centre and CN Towers office block which followed the demolition of the former CNR Station and the removal of the attending railyard and CNR Bridge; construction of the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium (now called TCU Place) also on former railway land; and construction of the Idylwyld Freeway itself from 20th Street southwards to just south of Ruth Street where it joined with another late-60s freeway project, the south east leg of Circle Drive.
Also known by its former name, the Idylwyld Bridge and, by locals, as the Freeway Bridge, the structure was renamed in honor of former mayor and senator Sidney Buckwold in 2001, following Buckwold's death.
