Huntsville to build Sky Bridge over Parkway, connect downtown and Lowe Mill (original) (raw)

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - A big change coming to the downtown Huntsville skyline.

City leaders are drawing up plans to build a huge pedestrian suspension bridge across Memorial Parkway. It's all part of a bigger project to connect Lowe Mill to the downtown corridor.

The city's goal is to build a greenway stretching from Holmes Avenue along Pinhook Creek, have it go past the VBC, and then connect to Lowe Mill via a suspension bridge across Memorial Parkway.

"This is going to be an art piece that crosses our Parkway. People will see it, it will be very iconic for the city of Huntsville," said City of Huntsville Director of Engineering's Kathy Martin. "It is more than just a sky bridge, it is an art piece."

Martin's office is already working with a world-renowned bridge designer and they're modeling the new bridge after a similar project in Greenville, South Carolina. Martin showed off the plans in her office.

"The fact that the greenway is coming is a huge deal for us. It is something we've been fighting for years," said Lowe Mill's Sarah Cole.

Cole couldn't hold back her excitement about the new multi-use path. It creates a more walkable city and she predicts will bring in more customers to the largest privately owned arts facility in the country .

"It's going to give people the opportunity to flow from downtown to our area and experience a wide range of entertainment," said Cole.

According to Martin, this is all in the design phase and that could take around a year to complete but after that, the plan is to move forward and bridge the gap between downtown and west Huntsville.

The city of Huntsville released the following statement:

This is a pivotal project in the City of Huntsville's BIG Picture master plan for a much broader transportation network of connectivity. The proposed Downtown to Lowe Mill greenway is one segment of the City's long-term vision to create a pedestrian connection from A & M University through downtown, to Brahan Spring Park and John Hunt Park, and on to Ditto Landing. Federal projects of this magnitude require significant outside funding, and while exciting, they take many years to design and build. The City is applying for a TIGER grant for the Downtown to Lowe Mill phase. The grant application process requires that all designs be in place and the project is "shovel ready" to begin. Should the City be unsuccessful in the grant, we will continue to look for additional funding options.