New bridge connecting America the Beautiful Park, downtown Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- There's a big new addition being installed at America the Beautiful Park -- the southwest downtown pedestrian bridge is being placed on its abutments Monday.
The bridge will connect America the Beautiful Park with downtown Colorado Springs.
"This is a massive day for me personally, and for the city of Colorado Springs," says Ryan Phipps, Senior Engineer for the City of Colorado Springs. "We'll finally get to share what we've been working on for so long, and it's really beautiful."
Phipps says the project has been in the works for five years.
The architect for the bridge is the same as the one who designed the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Downtown Colorado Springs.
Both structures are similar on the outside, but on the inside, as well.
Like the museum, the bridge was also built on the foundation of accessibility.
"The Olympic Museum is one of the most accessible in the country, if not the world," says Bob Cope, Economic Development Officer for the City of Colorado Springs. "It just made sense the bridge not only followed the architecture, but also that same theme."
Ramping, stairs, and elevators will be available for guests to enter on both the west and east sides of the bridge.
Engineers say its width will also accommodate those on foot.
In the evening, lighting along the bridge will trace a single track from one side of the bridge to the other, giving a sense of speed and motion while providing light for pedestrians and cyclists.
Cope says standard bridges typically cost between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000 dollars.
The Southwest Downtown Pedestrian Bridge cost $20,000,000.
Phipps says though public funding covered the standard price of the bridge, the about $15,000,000 gap was bridged by outside sources; like the City for Champions and the Southwest District.
The bridge weighs 1.1 million pounds and will be hoisted about 22 feet from the ground.
The bridge is expected to open to the public early 2021.
