Two pedestrian bridges spanning Trinity River to be ready soon

Work crews recently completed bolting in place the steel structures of two pedestrian bridges over the Trinity River — one near the Mistletoe Heights neighborhood and another in Quanah Parker Park on the city’s east side — that will soon lead hikers and bikers to the Trinity Trail system.

The bridges are part of a larger $6.4 million project to create five neighborhood connections to the Trinity River that was approved by the City Council in 2009. The other projects are completed and include connecting neighborhoods near Oakland Boulevard and Westcreek Drive to the trails and improving a trailhead at River Park in southwest Fort Worth.

About $4.4 million for the project came from a state transportation program grant, $1.1 million from the city and an $865,260 donation from Streams & Valleys.

Concrete will be poured over the steel structures to complete the bridges. They’re scheduled to be ready for pedestrians by August, said David Creek, an assistant director of Fort Worth’s Park and Recreation Department.

“We are thrilled to see these two final trail connections coming to fruition,” said Stacey Pierce, Streams & Valleys executive director. “In Fort Worth, we can attribute most, if not all, of our success to strong partnerships, and this project is a perfect example. When the TxDOT grant became available, the master plan was already in place and the projects were ready to go, so were able to take advantage of a wonderful opportunity.”

City officials are hopeful the new Mistletoe Heights bridge, which stretches 369 feet between the east and west banks of the river, will stop people from using the Forest Park miniature railroad bridge, just off Old University Drive and south of Interstate 30, to cross the river. The railroad bridge is not designed for pedestrians.

“It’s a large bridge, probably the largest pedestrian bridge in Tarrant County crossing the river,” Creek said. “These neighborhood connections are really important.”

The Quanah Parker Park bridge, spanning 120 feet, is an important step toward connecting the Fort Worth and Arlington trail systems, Creek said. The park is north Interstate 30, off Woodhaven Boulevard and Randol Mill Road.

The Fort Worth portion of the 60-mile Trinity Trails system, which runs along the Trinity River, has more than 70 miles for running, walking, cycling and horseback riding. It connects 21 recreational sites, including the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the Fort Worth Zoo, the Stockyards and downtown Fort Worth.

The trail system will eventually connect to Dallas through Arlington, Grand Prairie and Irving.

Pierce said her organization, the parks department and the Tarrant Regional Water District are working on a 10-year strategic plan for the Trinity River.

“Since 2009, tremendous development has occurred all along the river, and more projects are in the planning phases. We want to always be looking ahead,” she said.

This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Two pedestrian bridges spanning Trinity River to be ready soon."