Ceremony and Celebration
Thousands of Saskatonians and numerous dignitaries gathered on July 2, 1983, to mark the official opening of the Circle Drive Bridge at 42nd Street. Mayor Cliff Wright declared the bridge open during a $12,500 ribbon-cutting ceremony on the bridge's west side.
The Canada Day-themed event featured sunny skies, a cavalcade of vintage cars, performances by the Saskatoon Boys Choir and the Saskatoon Lions Band, and the presentation of colors by the Royal Canadian Legion and the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire. The hour-long morning ceremony culminated with the release of hundreds of red and white balloons into a strong east wind as the crowd sang O Canada.
Bridge Specifications and Delays
The four-lane, five-span, 275-metre structure opened to regular traffic in mid-afternoon. Its completion was delayed by 10 months due to a construction strike the previous summer. The entire Circle Drive extension, including 5.5 kilometres of related roadways, interchanges, and underpasses, was projected to cost up to $38.6 million, depending on an arbitrator's decision regarding the price of approximately 145 acres of University of Saskatchewan land incorporated into the roadway.
Dignitaries and Public Access
Highways Minister Jim Garner brought greetings from the province, while Senator Sid Buckwold—who was mayor when city council first began planning the 42nd Street extension 25 years earlier—represented the federal government. Due to limited parking at the bridge site, Saskatoon Transit offered free shuttle bus service to and from Lawson Heights Mall and the Field House.
