Sheep River Park is easier to access for residents on its south side. The Town of Okotoks has opened its water treatment plant bridge, which extends from the escarpment behind Woodhaven Drive down to the park pathway beside the treatment plant. Plans for the $2.25 million bridge began after the 2013 flood closed off the water treatment plant due to high water levels in Sheep River Park. “It isolated the plant, so the only way to get people and equipment in there was by flying them in,” said James Cameron, Okotoks project engineer. “Now with this bridge we’ll have unrestricted access to the water treatment plant during any future floods.” The Town conducted studies to determine the best design for a bridge that would allow access during emergencies but also benefit the public when it was not being used specifically to access the treatment plant. It’s a great asset to people who use Sheep River Park as an alternative to the green stairs that extend from the Woodhaven escarpment onto the park pathway, Cameron said. The stairs can be difficult for those with bikes or limited mobility, and aren’t accessible for strollers or wheelchairs, so the bridge helps mitigate those issues, he said. “It’s barrier-free so that’s good for any active transportation users, and it does tie into our pathway network,” said Cameron. “And in the winter I know those green stairs become a bit icy and harder to walk up, so it’s a great alternate.” The bridge will also be beneficial for emergency access other than floods, he said. At four metres wide, it can accommodate fire trucks and ambulances, he said. “If there’s a fire or some other reason to get equipment down to the river valley it’s a great way down there we didn’t have before,” said Cameron.
