RiverWalk Phase 2 Now Open

After a year of planning and construction, RiverWalk Phase 2 officially opens today. Phase 2 winds west from 3^rd Street SE to the Centre Street Bridge, marking the completion of roughly one kilometre of RiverWalk from RiverWalk Plaza at the Simmons Building west to Eau Claire. This newest section of RiverWalk features a separated pedestrian promenade and cycling path, extensive landscaping with native grasses and trees, as well as a viewing deck which looks out over the Bow River.

RiverWalk is a significant recreational amenity for the City of Calgary. It is an innovative promenade and public gathering space which is designed to give Calgarians convenient access to the Bow River. “We opened Phase 1 of RiverWalk, in November last year but Calgarians truly couldn’t experience its smart design and riverside lounging until this Spring when the weather warmed”, said Michael Brown, CMLC President and CEO.  “This summer, after eight months of operation and use RiverWalk was nominated the 4^th best public space in the city, according to Toronto-based Spacing, a magazine about Canada’s urban landscapes. That’s pretty good”!

Once completed RiverWalk will be a continuous four kilometre stretch of pathway that will run from the Centre Street Bridge all the way to Lindsay Park and will connect to the 700 km of existing pathway systems in the city. With today’s announcement a one kilometer stretch of RiverWalk is open and features dedicated lanes for both pedestrians and cyclists, which is one of several safety features CMLC has incorporated into the design.

CMLC is now in the detailed design stage for the next phase of RiverWalk - Phase 3 - which is expected to be under construction this fall. Phase 3 of the pathway will wind east from 6^th Street SE following the Bow River around Fort Calgary to 9 Ave SE. This section is expected to be completed mid-2012.