J Robert Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
Coordinates41°15′56″N 95°55′20″W / 41.265634°N 95.92231°W / 41.265634; -95.92231
CarriesPedestrian and bicycle traffic
CrossesMissouri River
LocaleOmaha, Nebraska
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Characteristics
DesignCable-stayed
Total length3,000 ft (910 m)
Longest span506 ft (154 m)
Clearance below52 ft (16 m)
History
DesignerHNTB Ted Zoli III, Director of Longspan Structures
Construction startOctober 26, 2006[1]
OpenedSeptember 28, 2008 (2008-09-28)[2]
Location

The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge[3] is a 3,000-foot (910 m) footbridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. It opened on September 28, 2008.[2]

Interest in a landmark bridge across the Missouri River arose after Omaha and Council Bluffs began replacing their older crossings with girder bridges which do not have towers (most notably the Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge). The bridge is named after former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey, who secured $18 million of federal funding for the bridge in 2000.[3]

The bridge was redesigned in 2004 after the lowest bid for the project was $44 million. In May 2006, a final cable-stayed bridge design by Kansas City engineering and architectural firm HNTB was selected for the bridge. The $22 million bid included two 200-foot (61 m) towers and a clearance of 52 feet (16 m) above the river. Groundbreaking for construction of the bridge occurred on October 26, 2006.[1]

The bridge is north of the Interstate 480 (I-480) girder bridge and connects the Port of Omaha's Miller Landing to One Renaissance Center in the former Dodge Park Playland in Council Bluffs.

The lights on the bridge were donated by Gallup, which has their corporate headquarters and Gallup University located on the Missouri River adjacent the Omaha landing of the bridge. The bridge lights include programmable controls that can display multiple colors in the large lights at the top of the towers and alter brightness and timing of the lights that run the entire length of the bridge. The lights were officially unveiled in a ceremony on September 13, 2008. The bridge lights were turned on while the Phil Collins song "In The Air Tonight" was played over a PA system. The event was accompanied by fireworks.

Due to safety concerns prompted by the 2011 Missouri River floods, the entrance on the Iowa side was closed on July 2 of that year.[4] It reopened September 3, 2011.[5]

In 2015, the bridge joined Twitter as @BobTBridge, an effort by the Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Ground Broken On Pedestrian Bridge". Omaha, NE: KETV-TV. October 26, 2006. Archived from the original on November 4, 2006. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  2. 1 2 "Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge To Open September 28". Omaha, NE: KETV-TV. September 11, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Omaha vote makes name official: Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge". Omaha World-Herald. September 9, 2008. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Omaha News, Weather and Sports - Nebraska News - KETV NewsWatch 7". Omaha, NE: KETV-TV. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Iowa Side of Pedestrian Bridge Reopens". Omaha, NE: WOWT. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Omaha bridge gains ability to speak, joins Twitter". 9 July 2015.
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