Peace Bridge park will be 'great spot for selfie moments' soon, planner says

A park south of the Peace Bridge should be selfie-ready by next fall, a Calgary planner says.

The city is redoing green space in Eau Claire along the Bow River to add a public park area near the bridge, and to addflood mitigation elements.

"We're halfway there so everybody hold tight. We're almost done,"city project manager Joyce Tang toldthe CalgaryEyeopener on Thursday.

• Read the full West Eau Claire Park project plan

The distinctly shaped red-and-glass Peace Bridge opened in 2012 after years of controversial delays and cost overruns. The finalprice tagwas $25million.Since then, the city has spent at least $200,000 repairing damage from vandals.

The park project was developed based on public consultations in 2014,and wasbudgeted to cost $7.9 million, Tang said.

Muchof the engineering to prevent flooding from the Bow River happens underground, and much of that "earth-moving" has finished, Tangsaid.Most of floodmitigationchanges will be hidden in the park's landscape.

For example, the pathways have been raised and a strong flood wall has been added. Overthe wall, the city will install one long, continuous bench more useful andaestheticallypleasing than a plain concrete wall, she said.

"We're going to create some mounds for people to kind of chill and relax and have picnics and terrace seating as well, which people love to do when you want to linger on a hot summer day and look back at the Peace Bridge," Tang said.

"So lots of great things happening in the park space."

The park will have a "beautiful wide promenade," as well asa new Delta Garden at the base of the Peace Bridge.

"Certainly that'll be a great spot for selfie moments, if you will, and as a beautiful garden space and backdrop to the peace bridge," Tang said.

For extra safety, the pathway will now have a separated path for both bicycles and pedestrians.

The construction is expected to be complete by mid to late 2018.

• Listen to how the West Eau Claire Park project will mitigate floods:

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |How MMA turned a trouble-making street fighter into a disciplined UFC featherweight
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Gagnon injured after crashing during World Cup training in Lake Louise

With files from Jennifer Keeneand the Calgary Eyeopener.