The pedestrian bridge under construction on the west end of the Tempe Town Lake is nearing completion.
The bridge, which consists of four sections connected to each of the lake’s four bladders, is anticipated to be open to the public in mid-October.
The bridge was designed to shade the lake’s rubber bladders to keep them cooler, according to the city’s website.
In July 2010, one of the four bladders on the west end of the lake burst draining water into the Salt River bed. All the bladders have since been replaced.
Bridge design project manager Dan Heller of T.Y. Lin International civil and structural engineering firm said that the bridge design was inspired by the natural and man-made elements of Tempe Town Lake.
“When we started we had absolutely nothing in mind,” Heller said. “We knew we had to exist with the concrete piers and over the bladders, but in a fairly light design. We wanted to complement the Tempe Center for the Arts building.”
The design of the bridge included 12 months of planning, and the design discussion process was 30 to 45 days long, Heller said.
The bridge will provide a safe means of crossing to and from the north side of the lake to Tempe Beach Park, as well as reduce foot traffic across the main bridge.
The design was a collaborative effort among T.Y. Lin International, Otak architecture and engineering firm and Tempe, Heller said.
“We had lots of different visions for this project come together in a very aesthetically appealing way,” Heller said.
Jeff Kulaga, assistant city manager of Tempe, said the bridge was designed to compliment the west end of the lake.
“It is one more amenity and adds another loop to the west end of the Tempe Town Lake,” Kulaga said. “It is going to allow more people to enjoy Tempe Town Lake, Tempe Beach Park and all the events that take place around there as well as at Tempe Center for the Arts.”
The bridge could cost $5.1 million. Tempe has not announced a specific opening date.
“I am definitely thankful for the inauguration of this bridge,” electrical engineering freshman Erik Rios said. “Tempe is a very dense city and there are close encounters with street traffic on a day-to-day basis.”
Reach the reporters at apmccull@asu.edu and crcruz1@asu.edu
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