Pedestrian bridge opens downtown

The Union Gateway Bridge officially opens on Friday.

A pedestrian bridge at 18th Street that connects the Central Platte Valley with the Union Station district, officially opens on Friday.

Known as the Union Gateway bridge, it provides a second connecting point to Riverfront Park and Commons Park as well as Union Station and Lower Downtown. The bridge is a 170-foot long span with a copper-clad elevator tower at each end. It was financed by the Central Platte Valley Metropolitan District through mill levies on Central Platte Valley property owners east of the Consolidated Main Line.

Bridge a true gateway

“The Union Gateway Bridge not only provides an important and safe connection from Union Station and LoDo into the Central Platte Valley, but it will become an even more critical pedestrian crossing point with the development of Union Station and Fast Tracks,” said Amy Cara, president of the Central Platte Valley Metropolitan District. “The bridge is another important piece of ongoing successful and visionary development in the valley. It signifies the continuing efforts by the Central Platte Valley Metropolitan District to support development with the necessary infrastructure that will maintain a highly desirable place to live, work and play.”

It takes a team

68 West Engineering, Inc. facilitated and coordinated the design team and managed construction. Edward Kraemer and Sons served as the general contractor, OZ Architecture was the designer and S.A. Miro served as the structural engineer.

The bridge spans the CML which serves the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads, and RTD Light Rail. Prior to its completion, the only bridge over the CML was the Millennium Bridge, recognized by the iconic mast structure that towers above the bridge.