Richmond is a city of hills, not unlike Rome or a colony of ants. For 100 years, elevated viaducts (which are like bridges, only way cooler) have crossed Shockoe Valley and connected downtown with the communities of Church, Union and Jefferson Hills. The first such structure, the Marshall Street Viaduct, opened for business in 1911 and was a trestle of steel and wood that stretched a half-mile from College Street downtown to 21st Street in the East End. Streetcars, automobiles, horse-drawn carts, pedestrians and farm animals could now travel above the fray of Broad Street without fear of the steep hills awaiting them at either end. This being Richmond, tolls were required: wheelbarrows were assessed a flat 2c fee while children under 10 were allowed to pass free of charge. There was even an elevator to the streetcar line below at 18th street.
Fast forward many decades...
The trolley tracks were removed in 1953 and the bridge remained open until the 1970s. Its replacement, officially named the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge, is a massive concrete and steel structure located a few blocks north. Known by most (and Google Maps) as the Leigh Street Viaduct, the bridge extends more than 2000 feet along a curving path from MCV and downtown to Union Hill and beyond.
The bridge’s 6-lane capacity for vehicular traffic is beyond the current and future needs of both the campus and the neighborhoods, yet it serves as a vital and well-worn pedestrian path over the interstate highway and railways on the valley floor below. BAM has been asked by the City of Richmond to develop a vision for the next phase of the bridge’s life – one that includes reduced automobile lanes and increased space for pedestrians and bicycles.
What we love about the original viaduct was that its scale was more human – it was designed for kids and wheelbarrows as well as cars and trolleys. To address the ‘infrastructure scale’ of the current bridge, we propose a variety of enhancements designed to calm traffic and improve the safety and experience of people walking and biking. Folks in their cars will probably like the trip more, too. Key moves include dedicated bike lanes, a landscape buffer and elevated walking surface, pedestrian scale lighting and viewing platforms. Grab your wheelbarrow and kids - no charge.
Can't get enough of landscaped bridges? Don't miss our competition proposal for downtown Roanoke from a few years back.
Bikers would be safer if the planter were moved between them and larger vehicular traffic.
Franco commented on Oct 25, 2011 at 9:09pm