Governor drops project for $29 million pedestrian bridge after public backlash
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Gov. Jared Polis has decided not to proceed with the $29 million proposal for a pedestrian bridge in front of the state capitol due to the backlash from Coloradans, according to our partners at Denver 9News.
The bridge was pitched by the governor's office as a tribute to Colorado's 150th anniversary of statehood. However, Polis faced opposition from the public for the bridge that would cross Lincoln Street from the Colorado State Capitol to Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park.
According to 9News, the governor put an end to the plan, acknowledging its unpopularity; however, he defended the process that spent an estimated $1.5 million on designing the pedestrian bridge before consulting key stakeholder groups.
“I don’t think it was... the process,” Polis said Tuesday. “I think had they been consulted early, Coloradans still wouldn’t want this walkway.”
Polis had released a public survey asking for Coloradans' views on the project last week, which the governor said had over 84,000 participants, with 94% not supporting the project.
The results, according to the governor:
- Yes: 3,330 (3.8%)
- Maybe: 2,043 (2.3%)
- No: 82,313 (93.9%)
- Total votes: 87,686
According to 9News, Polis said he was open to using a portion of the state funding set aside for the bridge for smaller commemorative projects elsewhere in Colorado to mark the state’s 150th birthday.
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