A concerned citizen is fighting to save the Walterdale Bridge and turn it into a pedestrian bridge.
The group is calling on the city to save the bridge, suggesting it could become a vibrant link to downtown.
"Certainly possible to have portable food vendors on the refurbished vision of the Walterdale Bridge. We see the hot dog vendors, coffee vendors outside," said Myron Belej with Edmonton Urban Design Salon.
But some councillors aren't sold on the idea.
City Coun. Ben Henderson thinks it would be "silly" to spend money on a bridge that is falling apart.
The mayor like the idea of a new signature bridge for motorists, side-by-side with the existing Walterdale Bridge retrofitted for pedestrians and cyclists.
"I like the way that looks. I think it looks great," Mayor Stephen Mandel told council Tuesday. "We've got great activity with that bridge. It keeps the historical design to it."
Councillors are trying to bridge the gap between preserving history and moving the city forward.
The cost of the retrofit is projected at $8 million plus $12 million to maintain it over the next 50 years.
Councillors have asked administration for more details on how a retrofitted bridge would connect with trails on both sides of the river and the cost of relocating the bridge to be used as a pedestrian bridge elsewhere in the River Valley.
With files from Laura Tupper
