The Star Mine Suspension Bridge

Coal miners working in the Star Mine crossed the Red Deer River in rowboats in 1912. In 1919, an aerial cable car system was built to transport both men and coal from the mine to the tipple on the south side, and the C.N.R. carried the coal from the valley. In 1930, the C.P.R. built a bridge 1.6 km up river and a tipple was built at the mine site. In 1931, the original swinging bridge was constructed, and although winds and floods sometimes made crossing hazardous, miners used it until 1957. When the mine closed a year later, a large mass of shale, rock, and dirt on the north side slid over the mine workings. In 1958, to commemorate the colorful mining history of the Drumheller Valley, the Alberta government rebuilt the suspension bridge and continues to maintain it for public use. The area around the south end of the bridge is called “Aeriel.” The bridge is 117 meters long.

Alberta · Canada