Denver officials, including Mayor Mike Johnston, connected on Wednesday to celebrate completion and opening of the upgraded $7 million Larimer Street bridge, which connects Speer Boulevard and 14th Street.
The project replaced the 64-year-old bridge with increased space for people to walk, bike, pedal and skate. Added were 12-foot-wide sidewalks, two-way protected bikeway, pedestrian lighting, seating, public arts and greenery. The bridge remains a two-way, one-lane street.
Larimer Street stretches over Cherry Creek, a popular walking and bike path along downtown Denver’s longest creek.
With Johnston to cut the ribbon were Downtown Denver Partnership CEO Kourtny Garrett, District 10 Councilman Chris Hinds, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) Executive Director Adam Phipps and Auraria Higher Education Center CEO Colleen Walker.
“The bridge contributes to our goal of getting more folks walking and rolling downtown,” Johnston said in a statement. “This project will make it easier and safer for Denverites to travel between the Auraria Campus and Downtown, two critical economic and entertainment centers for our city, while contributing to our goal of activating downtown with beautiful and accessible public spaces.”
Denver contracted with Hamon Infrastructure to construct the new bridge. It was completed in less than one year.
“It’s amazing to see the transformation that has occurred along this stretch of Larimer Street,” Hinds said. “We have a new bridge over Cherry Creek that will serve the area for decades to come and more room for people to walk and roll between downtown and the campus, making both locations more accessible to all.”
The bridge replacement, along with its streetscaping efforts, “links businesses and residences of the downtown area on one side, with three institutions of higher learning on the other,” Denver Transportation and Infrastructure officials said in a statement.
Area education facilities include Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and University of Colorado Denver — all located on Auraria Campus.
“We are thrilled that Connecting Auraria supports a space with a distinct identity as an urban campus with vital gateways, vibrant activations, and connections to its surrounding city,” Walker said. “More than a beautiful new state-of-the-art bridge, the corridor improves the student experience and safety on Larimer Street … and will continue accelerating the merger of the two sides of the Cherry Creek.”
Garrett, downtown Denver’s development czar, added: “Connecting Auraria is a powerful example of the importance of strengthening connections between downtown neighborhoods. This bridge represents remarkable collaboration between DOTI and the community to bring to life a bold design that truly prioritizes pedestrian safety and active mobility while establishing a greater sense of place and fluidity between the central business district and AHEC.”
In addition to added amenities, the bridge replacement also affects water quality.
“The planters on the north side of Larimer Street receive stormwater off the street, cleaning it before it makes its way to Cherry Creek, and serve to cool the environment and mitigate urban heat,” Phipps said. “In addition, new lighting strung across the bridge will serve as a beacon to welcome people to this space, help them navigate at night and make the area safer.”