Edmonton councillors are asking city staff if there’s any way to save the High Level Bridge, which administration has recommended be demolished.

A report released last week noted that continual upkeep of the High Level Bridge will cost more than $1 billion and may not hold up.

Administration suggested that the bridge and the Low Level bridges be replaced and potentially demolished.

Councillors debated long-term plans for multiple bridges in a committee meeting Monday morning.

“We understand that Edmontonians are not only curious, they may have a lot of emotions related to the news that we’ve shared. It’s important to know that there is room and space for them to be engaged in the conversation,” said Pascale Ladouceur, branch manager of transportation planning and design at the City of Edmonton.

Councillors asked city staff on Monday if any changes could be made to keep the High Level around.

But city administration said even if no one used the bridge, it would still cost millions just to keep it standing.

“Can you picture San Francisco without the Golden Gate Bridge? Can you picture Edmonton without the High Level Bridge? This is something that… I think we’re all so deeply emotionally attached to,” said ward papastew councillor Michael Janz.

Councillors asked if it is possible to maintain parts of the bridge in a new design, such as similar materials or aesthetics.

Administration says that would be a heavy hit to the city budget and isn’t really possible, as the more than 100-year-old High Level is made of heavy, specialized steel that can’t be combined with modern materials.

“They don’t make them like they used to, I guess, right? And this is a perfect example of that, it is iconic clearly because of that and that’s what makes it so hard to replicate,” said Mayor Andrew Knack.

“Not only just retain but even trying to replicate a bridge like that on a new one, we heard that would cost literally billions more — not just one billion more, billions more.

The process is still in the beginning stages, and no formal bridge decisions have been made. Councillors hope to come up with an option that will bridge the gap between the past and the future.

“I really want to make sure that we can do anything within our power to preserve it as still an anchor for walkability, bikeability, and the High Level streetcar,” said Janz.