Bridge – Guelph Cycling Club

The SRCC Board and members made substantial commitments to make this community-led project a reality. Now that it’s complete, SRCC members are invited to attend the official opening and naming of the bridge on Saturday November 20th at 1 PM.

The board donated $2500 in the club’s name helping kick-off the project’s fundraising and the members collectively donated an additional and impressive $8275. A special thanks to all who donated!

Many club members donated their time and expertise as well. Will Teron (Tacoma Engineers) did the initial engineering on the project. Meg Thorburn wrote many of the grant applications garnering the lion’s share of funding. And Lorenz Calcagno managed the project and was even seen to have tools in his hands on occasion.

This bridge had been crying to be built for decades. An earlier construction by a few visionary mountain bikers lasted several years, but was eventually undone. A more permanent solution was needed – one that would facilitate further improvements down the trail. SRCC was critical in making that happen. We hope it will be enjoyed and appreciated by all users for many years to come.

Come out on Saturday November 20th at 1 PM and be part of the opening ceremony and celebrate in a substantial gain for the community.

See you there,

Rusty K

Speed River Cycling Club is partnering with the Guelph Hiking Trail Club in a fundraising campaign to BUILD A BRIDGE over the storm water crossing on the James Street Trail. SRCC members designed and engineered this bridge. Please support by contributing to the campaign. It will help make a vital accessibility improvement to this well-used, natural forest trail in Guelph. This trail is an important link for many of our members getting in and out of town on their gravel bikes or on their MTBs going out to the Arkell Spring Ground trails and back.

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The James Street Trail is special! If you don’t know it, it’s a naturalized path along the south side of the Eramosa River, with a central access point one block from Gordon Street. It runs over two kilometres from there to Victoria Road on land owned by the University of Guelph. Keeping the trail accessible to a larger community is significant in preserving the land from sale to developers. It also increases access to the trails along the ridge behind the Turf Grass lands that will be developed in the foreseeable future.

But there’s a serious impediment within the first kilometer of the trail, a storm water crossing that makes it inaccessible to many people and dangerous for all users. It urgently needs a safe crossing.

The Guelph Hiking Trail Club signed a 20-year agreement with the university to manage, improve and insure the James Street Trail for all users. They have negotiated permits from the Grand River Conservation Authority. Our own SRCC members are integral to the fundraising campaign, have successfully secured grants and done the engineering and design. The bridge is a steel beam and wood deck construction with concrete abutments that will last for generations! This is a great opportunity for us to make a contribution in the heart of the city of which we can all be proud. Contribute what you can and we’ll secure a lasting legacy that’s long overdue.

We’re over half-way with the funding for the bridge — please help us get the rest of the way by April 30.

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Thanks for you generous support!

In collaboration with the Guelph Hiking Trail Club