Cloverdale footbridge will close to public next week

There are only a few days left to cross the old wooden planks spanning from Louise McKinney Park to Cloverdale.

While the Cloverdale footbridge won't be taken down until the fall, it will closeto the public starting next week as construction for the Valley Line LRT ramps up.

"We have to create access roads that destabilizes the actual bridge itself but at the same time we have trucks moving large amounts of earth in and out of here," said Dan Heuman, a spokesman forTransEd LRT,the company handling the construction.

"It's a safety issue, we can't have people crossing that bridge."

Many protests, events and letter-writing campaigns have been held in an attempt to save the footbridge someoneeven floated the idea of a ferry onthat portion of the river.

It's a safety issue, we can't have people crossing that bridge.- DanHeuman

At one point, theSave The Footbridge groupeven hijacked a news conference that was being held by Mayor Don Iveson. At the time, Iveson told the groupit was "time to move on."

The group plans to hold another gathering for the footbridge on Sunday.

Other closures

The biggest change will be that pedestrians will have to cross the river on the Low Level Bridge.

The 13.1-kilometre leg of the Valley LRT will also affectother trails near Henrietta Muir Edwards Park and the Muttart Conservatory.

Lanes will be closed on Jasper Avenue between 95th and 96th streets and trees will be removed along the WhitemudDrive and alongseveral streets in the Bonnie Doon, Cloverdale andStrathearn neighbourhoods.

The city will dopreparation work this year and major construction will begin next year.