MISSOURI RIVER 
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE to LINK TRAILS

April 2001

A planned pedestrian bridge crossing the Missouri River and linking hiking and biking trails between Omaha and Council Bluffs will soon become a reality. The bridge is being funded by a $17 million federal grant obtained by former U.S. Senator Bob Kerry, a $1.7 million federal planning grant, $1.5 million each from the states of Nebraska and Iowa, and $1 million from the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. It is expected to be completed sometime in 2003.
 
The bridge which will be among one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the nation, will be 30 feet wide, 52 feet high, and will not allow travel by any vehicles other than those needed for maintenance. The vision is to have a bridge designed that will 'define the riverfront' and attract both locals and visitors to the area.

A selection committee led by Norm Jackman, City of Omaha Environmental Engineer, made their decision on Friday, April 6th to offer this project to the Florida-based Figg Bridge Engineering team. Although details will still need to be worked out over the next several weeks, the Figg group was chosen because of their combination of technical skills and their enthusiasm and passion for the project, according to Gayle Malmquist, development services coordinator for the City of Council Bluffs. Other members of the selection committee included: Larry Foster, acting parks and recreation director for the City of Omaha, Ronald Hopp, director of parks and recreation for the Bluffs, Daub economic development aide Dennis Wilson, acting Omaha Planning Director Bob Peters, private citizen Bob Lamphier and Steve Oltmans, general manager of the Papio-Missouri River NRD.

Some of the ideas discussed during the Figg team's presentation included using stainless steel, which wouldn't have to be painted, and how to position light bulbs so they could be easily replaced. Although their presentation included three different types of bridges: arch, suspension and cable stay, Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects (an Omaha firm who is part of the Figg team) built a model of one type, a cable stay bridge, to illustrate what they could do.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Tampa/St. Petersburg, FLA

The model included a serpentine walkway which would wind across the river in gentle curves and hang by two spiny triangles of cables from two tall pylons. The two pylons could symbolize the two cites and two states connected by the bridge and the curves, reminiscent of river bends, would afford varying views of the Missouri River and the cities it waters, according to the architect.

Although the formal design process has barely begun, architect George Haecker calls this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Other resources: Omaha area Missouri River Trailmap