A highly anticipated pedestrian bridge, which came to life with community input and arrived to much fanfare in four pieces from Italy via ship, was installed last month in Buffalo, New York.
The 266-foot bridge will provide pedestrians and cyclists entry to Ralph Wilson Park, which the city is revitalizing with a goal of creating a top-notch public space with a focus on safety and accessibility.
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The bridge spans Interstate 190 and a set of railroad tracks to transport visitors to the waterfront park, which occupies more than 100 acres. The 220-ton superstructure replaces an aging pedestrian bridge. Two gantry cranes and a 100-ton rough terrain assist crane were used to install the new crossing, which will open to the public in early 2026.
Imagine LaSalle, an initiative that launched in 2018, created a vision for improving Ralph Wilson Park – formerly named LaSalle Park – and found that one of the community’s top priorities was safe access. This led to a $20 million plan for the new pedestrian bridge and the redesign of the Fourth Street side of the park.
After a community-based design competition helped shape the vision for the bridge, schlaich bergermann partner of Germany was chosen to design it. With a nod to the city’s rich architectural and industrial roots, the bridge is an enclosed steel arch, which obscures the noise from traffic below and allows for safe passage into the park.
“It’s exciting to see one of the first visual signs of the major transformation that’s coming to Ralph Wilson Park after the successful installation of a new pedestrian and bicyclist bridge,” then-Mayor Byron W. Brown said in press material. “Very early on in the process, our community listed increased and safer access to this 100-plus acre waterfront park as a top priority. With the installation of the bridge, we are one step closer to making that a reality.”
The bridge was manufactured in Italy and crossed the Atlantic Ocean in four pieces. After passing through the New York Harbor, the pieces were moved to two barges and shipped to Buffalo via the Erie Canal, a trek that drew thousands of onlookers.
Remaining work on the bridge structure includes pouring a concrete deck, adding guardrails and handrails, and installing LED lighting.
“The interstate below had perhaps the largest impact on the arch bridge’s design,” said Michael Stein, P.E., M.ASCE, sbp managing director, in press material. “We needed to design a bridge that would transport users safely across the roadway in an enjoyable manner. If we did our job correctly, you won’t even realize you’ve left the park when you’re on the bridge. A bonus is that the enclosed arch also frames views toward the park and Lake Erie beyond.”
