Esplanade Riel
| Esplanade Riel | |
|---|---|
 Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge | |
| Official name | Esplanade Riel |
| Crosses | Red River |
| Locale | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Maintained by | City of Winnipeg |
| Designer | Colin Douglas Stewart and Étienne Gaboury |
| Design | Side-spar cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 197 m |
| Width | 7 metres (23 ft)[1] |
| Height | Top of the pylon is 57 metres (187 ft) above the bridge deck, and the bridge deck is about 11 metres (36 ft) above the water level.[1] |
| Number of spans | 2 |
| Construction begin | 2003 |
| Construction end | 2004 |
Esplanade Riel is a pedestrian bridge located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was named in honour of Louis Riel.[2]
It is a side-spar cable-stayed bridge which spans the Red River connecting downtown Winnipeg with St. Boniface, and it is paired with a vehicular bridge, the Provencher Bridge. The bridge includes an architectural composite tower that is prestressed with a cantilevered and stayed semi-circular plaza area at the base of the tower. The plaza provides space for commercial activities and as well as a restaurant.[1]
The Esplanade Riel is the only bridge with a restaurant in North America, and was previously occupied by a Salisbury House.[3] Salisbury House is a chain restaurant local to Winnipeg.[4] The Esplanade Riel has become a landmark and is used in many promotional materials. The current tenant is Chez Sophie sur le pont (on the bridge), which opened in the Summer of 2013.
Opened to foot traffic in 2003[5] and having a grand opening in the summer of 2004,[1] the Esplanade Riel was designed by Colin Douglas Stewart of Wardrop Engineering and the architect Étienne Gaboury. The original drawing, stamped by Colin Douglas Stewart, rests in the Engineering building of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
The Esplanade Riel was built as part of the Provencher Twin Bridges project, a $72 million project which included a new four-lane divided vehicular bridge as well as new roadways and sidewalks linking the bridges to Downtown Winnipeg and Waterfront Drive.[6]
In January 2013 the City of Winnipeg terminated the lease with Salisbury House. On Saturday January 12, 2013 it ran an advertisement in the Winnipeg Free Press looking for parties interested in leasing the restaurant.[7] In March 2013, the city approved a five-year lease agreement for the Esplanade Riel to have the French restaurant Chez Sophie as tenant. Chez Sophie has been located on Avenue de la Cathedrale since 2005. The restaurant is operated by Stephane and Sophie Wild, who are from the Alsace region of France.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Esplanade Riel Pedestrian Bridge, Winnipeg, Manitoba". DYWIDAG-Systems International. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- ↑ "Esplanade Riel Pedestrian Bridge". Tourism Winnipeg. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- ↑ "Toilet gets mayor in hot water with Taxpayers". CBC News. 19 May 2003. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- ↑ "Winnipeg's Legendary Salisbury House Celebrates its 80th Anniversary in 2011". Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ↑ http://www.ciaowinnipeg.com/images/WEG_Riel.pdf
- ↑ "Esplanade Riel opens to public". City of Winnipeg. 30 December 2003. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- ↑ http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/sals-on-way-out-at-esplanade-186909261.html
- ↑ Skerritt, Jen (4 March 2013). "Chez Sophie approved as new tenant on Esplanade Riel". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
Coordinates: 49°53′26.8″N 97°7′37.0″W / 49.890778°N 97.126944°W