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New bridge for Muskeg Creek Trail

Local volunteers come together to make the project happen

ATHABASCA — With one of its three bridges out over the course of the last year, the Muskeg Creek Trail hasn't been quite the same for those taking to one of Athabasca's many outdoor attractions, but now the middle bridge is back and better than ever thanks to some hard-working volunteers. 

Muskeg Creek Trail in Athabasca is a popular trail system for running, biking, and skiing, but ever since the middle bridge of the elaborate maze of trails washed out it has placed a damper on various activities, inspired a Facebook group and then a working committee between interested parties and the Town of Athabasca, and a lot of suggestions. 

And now it is complete due to the efforts of the Town of Athabasca and the Nordic Ski Club and other volunteers. 

“Me and Henrik (Asfeldt) were basically doing a run club every Tuesday and Thursday, we were just chatting about it, and he asked me how much you think we need, and I gave him a list of what I think it would need to get built and then he added what he thought,” said Fred Minville. 

Local company Tizzco’s Riverside Machining and Welding built the frame and Lincoln County Oilfield and Patry Construction also assisted said Town of Athabasca councillor Rob Balay.

"(Lincoln County) helped us haul the old bridge out and Tizzco's had welded it in three sections so they were there to help place it too," Balay said Oct. 19. "Then we also had Patry Construction who did a bunch of work."

Then, after having to wait a week for more material the bridge was finally finished Oct. 17.

“We were out of material. We just couldn’t get anything,” Minville said. “When they say there's a global shortage like, we couldn’t get bolts.” 

Volunteers were able to get the deck in place over the first weekend, but it still could not be used without a railing, so as soon as the supplies arrived, they were put in place, and the bridge is literally as good as new.  

“I think it's going to be a huge improvement for the quality of the trail; it’s higher on the hill on both sides and the approach is going to be much nicer so, a new landing,” he said. “It’s going to improve the flow of the trails for mountain bike riders and stuff like that.” 

The new angle of approach will be safer and users won't need to be as wary of the bump leading onto the bridge.

“Now that we put it up, it kind of changed the dynamic of it which is kind of important for the people that do skiing and biking. It was dangerous, you could pop a tire, snap a tube,” Minville said. 

The next bridge needing attention is the south one, then the one on the far north end by 56th Street and with this one coming in under the $75,000 budgeted Balay is sure the next ones will cost even less as they only need extensions welded on and some decking to finish them off.

“The whole trail system is a work in progress, and we want to expand it and we want to attract more tourists and we want to get people with their bikes and their families and their kids to stop in Athabasca,” said Minville. “It’s all part of having a cool little town.” 

[email protected] 

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