Repairs Planned for Historical Cantilever Bridge in Bowring Park

This summer, repairs are planned to rehabilitate the Cantilever Bridge in Bowring Park, with construction scheduled to begin in early May and be completed by the end of July.

The construction project involves concrete rehabilitation, graffiti removal, replacing handrailing, waterproofing and paving the bridge deck.

A heritage consultant was engaged to do a study and offer guidance for the rehabilitation project, in addition to an engineering consultant that was engaged to do structural design.

The location of the Cantilever Bridge, also known as the Arup Pedestrian Bridge, is outlined on the attached map.

Historical Information and Background

The Cantilever Bridge is a significant heritage structure in St. John’s which received Municipal Heritage Designation in 2020 due to its age, architectural and environmental values.

The bridge is a graceful concrete bridge which arches over the former railway track. It is cantilever style, meaning it is anchored on only one end. The other end hovers slightly above the ground with stairs extending outwards.

In 1958, the City commissioned Montreal architect firm, van Ginkel Associates, to work on a new development plan for the park that included new amenities, a pedestrian bridge and road bridge. The van Ginkels, along with UK firm Ove Arup (the structural engineering consultant) designed and constructed the pedestrian and road bridges. The van Ginkels also worked on the heritage rehabilitation of Old Montreal, while Ove Arup helped design the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia.

Further information about the significance of the bridge is outlined on the Heritage NL website.