The City of College Park has broken ground on the recently-awarded Gateway Pedestrian Bridge and Trail Project, according to a press release Tuesday.
This new 10-foot-wide, 1.08-mile bridge and trail is optimized for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. It connects the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) and ATL Skytrain Automated People Mover to downtown College Park, ending at the intersection of John Wesley Avenue and West Main Street.
Per its “Gateway” designation, the bridge/trail facilitates the College Park community’s access to locations including Fulton County medical clinics, schools, and markets, allowing residents to bypass traffic along Camp Creek Parkway, according to the release. Camp Creek Parkway, a four-lane highway, is traversed by more than 34,200 automobiles daily, so allowing foot and bicycle traffic to pass over Camp Creek Parkway is anticipated to “significantly enhance resident and visitor safety.”
Passing within walking distance of the College Park MARTA Station, the bridge/trail will also connect downtown MARTA and other business to the GICC and the future 6 West Development.
The Camp Creek Parkway Pedestrian Bridge portion of the project is intended to enhance the area’s aesthetics in addition to enhancing mobility and safety. The 10-foot-wide by 200-foot-long single-span prefabricated arch suspension bridge was designed, per City of College Park Director of Infrastructure and Development Jackson Myers, to display an “astounding appearance that will grab the attention of everyone on Camp Creek Parkway.”
“This project shows that an essential infrastructure upgrade can be not only functional, but also a beautiful work of art and sculpture,” Myers continued. “We are proud of the way this project will enhance pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic’s sense of arrival to downtown College Park.”
The city was able to obtain $15,425,800 in funding for the design and construction through the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), according to the release. Eighty percent of the project cost is being covered by grant money obtained by the City through the ARC. The remaining twenty percent of the cost is covered through TSPLOST and the City’s general fund. Grant funding was made possible through the hard work of College Park staff and U.S. Representatives David Scott and the late John Lewis.
The project design was led by Prime Engineering, Inc. (Prime) and Prime’s design team, which included Pentagon 540, STV Incorporated, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, and ECS Southeast, LLC. Construction will be performed by C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc. and is expected to take approximately 15 months to complete.
“The Gateway Pedestrian Bridge has been a real team effort on so many levels,” said College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom. “We would not be here without the hard work of our legislative delegation, GDOT, ARC, our dedicated city staff and others. The bridge is a major step forward as we improve transportation access for residents and visitors alike who choose to explore our great city. It is yet another way we are building the community we deserve.”
2 Responses
That bridge looks like it was designed by an engineer for the GA DOT.
Where’s Charles Vaux when you need him?
*Calvert Vaux, not Charles Vaux. My apologies.