New bridge in Saskatoon's long-term plan

A long-term transportation plan for Saskatoon includes a proposal for another bridge across the river, to be called the north commuter bridge.

"We need to begin the initial planning and discussions," Murray Totland, Saskatoon's city manager, said Thursday. "[We need to] put some functional planning in place, on what a city north bridge would look like."

Totland said the bridge would complement another proposed span across the river known as the perimeter highway bridge.

The perimeter bridge would connect to the Yellowhead Highway, north of Saskatoon.

Totland said projected traffic and growth patterns suggests the city will need the second, smaller, north-end commuter bridge.

Saskatoon's long-term transportation plan also includes proposals to make bus travel more attractive by building transit corridors that link key parts of the city.

Totland said rapid transit, including a possible light rail, or LRT, system, could become a popular option for people, if it is "more convenient, more flexible [and] more consistent" than travel by car.

"Once we get those on a more equal footing, I think transit becomes a lot more desirable," he said.

While an LRT system could be on the table, in the future, Totland said the most practical rapid transit service is the bus.