Dallas has opened its newest pedestrian bridge, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for early next month.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in Dallas announced on Monday that the Northaven Trail pedestrian bridge over U.S. 75 is officially open for public use, promising to offer a safe crossing for pedestrians while connecting “multiple regional trail connections together,” per TxDOT’s webpage.
Ragle Construction Inc. originally began construction of this $9.3 million project in June 2021 and saw the creation of its signature piece, a 201-foot-long arch bridge, called a “network tied arch.”
According to TxDOT, the arch bridge crosses over north and southbound U.S. 75 and reaches a height of 50 feet.
Officials note that this new bridge exemplifies the “positive benefits of appropriate location and design aesthetics for future bicycle and pedestrian trails and amenities.”
“As this structure is over a busy urban highway corridor which has roughly 250,000 vehicles daily, an innovative plan was developed to construct it with minimal disruption to traffic,” said TxDOT on its website.
“This was achieved by pre-assembling the bridge deck, cable, and arch as a single structure just to the east of the highway, while the other elements like bridge columns and approaches were built in place at the highway.”
TxDOT also states this structure is the world’s only network-tied arch bridge with a doubly-curved deck and tie.
According to the department, this new bridge “directly” connects the Northaven Trail, the Cottonwood Creek Trail, and the White Rock Creek Trail. This project was initially scheduled for completion in the summer of 2023.
Officials advise citizens to be aware of construction crews finishing their work and that short-term closures are possible over the new weeks. Friends of Northaven Trail, a local nonprofit, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the bridge on December 2.
