plans underway for construction of large pedestrian bridge in grand junction

A master plan is currently in the works for the building of a 900-foot long bridge for pedestrian traffic that would connect downtown Grand Junction to the banks of the Colorado River.

With an anticipated construction price tag of $3.5 million, the bridge would cross over a series of railroad tracks running north to south through the city.

The bridge is being regarded as a vital component of Grand Junction’s larger effort to develop a 58-acre site along the river that will include nearly16 acres of parks, 9.5 acres of light industrial and commercial space, and 10 acres designated for mixed-use development.

That site is known as the Riverfront at Dos Rios. According to city documents, work on that site, which was purchased nearly three decades ago by Grand Junction, is expected to begin in the fall of next year.

The bridge, which would be built to Americans with Disabilities Act specifications, would start at the city’s historic Union Station train depot, at the intersection of Pitkin Avenue and South 2nd Street, on its way to a landing on the Riverside Parkway.

Funding for the project is expected to come from a variety of sources, including the City of Grand Junction itself, as well as the Colorado Department of Transportation.

City officials say they expect to know by next spring whether what is expected to be up to $2 million in grant funding from the CDOT will be approved for the project.

By Garry Boulard

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