New renderings: See the pedestrian bridge that’ll connect uptown to South End (Axios)
Currently, the 3.5-mile rail running from South End into Uptown comes to an awkward and abrupt end near Spectrum News. To get into Uptown, you have to climb up a flight of stairs, walk along a sidewalk on Morehead and cross a bridge over 277.
The $11.5 million bridge aims to solve a major connectivity challenge — how to cross from South End to Uptown on foot (bike or scooter) safely and easily — that’s frustrated pedestrians and city leaders for years.
Leaders at U.S. Bank, the lead sponsor of the project, say the bridge will be an iconic gathering place for Charlotte. What’s more, it’s a way to drum up brand awareness for the Minneapolis-based bank, which has been expanding here ever since opening its first retail branch in Charlotte in 2019.
“It puts us at the center of connecting people,” US Bank’s EVP of consumer and business banking Dee O’Dell said of the project. Thomas & Hutton is the civil Engineer on the project, and Sbp is the structural engineer. The artist behind it is Depena Studios, and Integra is the architect. Sustain Charlotte has been helping with public engagement on the project.