Named in honor of Louis Riel, Esplanade Riel is a pedestrian bridge located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
It is a side-spar cable-stayed bridge which spans the Red River connecting downtown Winnipeg with St. Boniface, and it is paired with a vehicular bridge, the Provencher Bridge. The bridge includes an architectural composite tower that is prestressed with a cantilevered and stayed semi-circular plaza area at the base of the tower. The plaza provides space for commercial activities and as well as a restaurant.
The Esplanade Riel is the only bridge with a restaurant in North America, and it is currently occupied by a Salisbury House. Salisbury House is a chain restaurant local to Winnipeg. The Esplanade Riel has become a landmark and is used in many promotional materials.
Opened to foot traffic in 2003 and having a grand opening in the summer of 2004, the Esplanade Riel was designed by Colin Douglas Stewart of Wardrop Engineering and the architect Étienne Gaboury. The original drawing, stamped by Colin Douglas Stewart, rests in the Engineering building of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
The Esplanade Riel was built as part of the Provencher Twin Bridges project, a $72 million project which included a new four-lane divided vehicular bridge as well as new roadways and sidewalks linking the bridges to Downtown Winnipeg and Waterfront Drive.