Calgary's Peace Bridge repairs finally complete after vandalism

The City of Calgary announced Wednesday that its distinctive pedestrian Peace Bridge is now fully open for use after repairs to its railings were completed.

The bridge had been partially closed since work on the railings began in April this year, following an act of vandalism in July 2022 that damaged dozens of glass panels. 

New steel tension cables have replaced the former glass panels in the railings, according to a city release. 

Users of the bridge welcomed the development.

"When the Peace Bridge was vandalized, it was really shocking," said Calgarian Kerry Todyruik, whose commute takes him across the bridge into downtown. 

"I walk up and down the Peace Bridge all the time, so I've been waiting for it to finally be repaired."

Peter Phillips, who is the manager of bridges and structures for the city, said one of the biggest challenges in fixing the railings was maintaining their curved shape, and finding a new material that maintained the railings' initial transparent design.

"We shifted away from glass for improved resilience and greater longevity," said Phillips in a release. 

The city said the new steel tension cables will be more cost effective to maintain as the material is readily available in North America, saving an estimated $35,000 per year in maintenance costs. 

"It's great to see the Peace Bridge restored to its full design and use through a practical and permanent solution that protects its unique design," said Mayor Jyoti Gondek in the city statement.

"As a gateway to our downtown, the Peace Bridge has become an iconic feature of the Calgary skyline."

Pedestrian Dmytro Lopatian hasn't seen the bridge without fencing since moving to Calgary a year ago.

"It's beautiful, it's absolutely beautiful," he said. 

"The bridge itself looks much better."

The city said the Peace Bridge can see up to 9,000 daily users in the summer, as it crosses the Bow River connecting the communities of Sunnyside and Eau Claire. 

In July 2022, Brian Douglas Jensen was charged with vandalizing the bridge in two separate incidents. He's since pleaded guilty to mischief causing damage to property and, earlier this year, was handed about a nine-month sentence, which he'd already served.