Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge

The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge^[1] is a footbridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. It opened on 28 September 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^[1].

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 towers and a clearance of above the river. Groundbreaking for construction of the bridge occurred on October 26, 2006.^[3]

The bridge is north of the I-480 girder bridge and connects the Port of Omaha's Miller Landing in Omaha to One Renaissance Center in the former Dodge Park Playland in Council Bluffs, making it the first ever pedestrian bridge to connect two states.

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.

[edit] See also

• Trails in Omaha
• List of crossings of the Missouri River
• Parks in Omaha

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Omahariverfront.com article on final design
• Construction Cam
• Pedestrian Bridge Concept Pictures at official Omaha city website
• Video walking tour of bridge

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