TULSA, Okla. — Have you noticed the pedestrian bridge at 31st and Riverside is no longer? You're not alone.
Back in 2017, it was announced by Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum that the pedestrian bridge was getting a makeover.
The new pedestrian bridge design titled “The Gateway” is a multi-year project in the making. Discussions of the new bridge go back all the way to 2013 and a contest was even held for designs of the bridge.
READ MORE: City of Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum unveils new pedestrian bridge
The design of the bridge was made into consideration from public input. With over a thousand comments made, "The Gateway" was chosen as the final design and was submitted by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. The bridge will also feature shading structures and sitting areas.
According to a press release made at the time, "The Gateway" will be built with a steel plate fabrication system and will be the first of its kind in the United States.
Demolition of the old bridge was originally supposed to start in 2018. According to city engineers, demolition work was delayed because they were pending a permit through the corps of engineers. Now that they have the permit, they are able to move forward with the project, which caused some confusion for Tulsans to the sudden change.
The western portion of the old footbridge was taken down by Crossland Construction last week. The rest will be removed in the next 4 to 6 weeks.
The Crossland Construction company, hired by the City of Tulsa, will eventually construct "The Gateway". First, the team is making efficiency and safety improvements to Zink Dam.
Both projects are expected to take up to three years to complete.
The City of Tulsa is providing nearly $24.4 million in local funding for the new bridge. Local funding for additional state, federal, and private financial support will also be used for the construction of "The Gateway."
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