New Bridge Adds Walkability and Bike Ability by Connecting Bay Street to Residential Neighborhoods
CenterCal, in conjunction with the City of Emeryville, announced today the Grand Opening of The South Bayfront Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge on December 3, 2021. This pedestrian and cycling bridge connects East Emeryville to Bay Street.
The Grand Opening celebration and ribbon cutting event will begin at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall and will start with Emeryville’s annual tree lighting celebration. Following the tree lighting, attendees will parade over to the bridge, conduct a ribbon cutting on the city side, and walk over the bridge to the Bay Street side, where a second ribbon cutting on the opposite side of the bridge will take place symbolizing a linking of the two. Adding to the festivities will be entertainment and a variety of food trucks for attendees. This Grand Opening celebration marks the official completion of construction of the 227-foot bridge that will allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross above the railroad tracks.
“This bridge creates a safe and accessible pathway for the community to walk or ride from east Emeryville to Bay Street, connecting people to a destination for shopping, dining and entertainment,” said Craig Ramey, President, Pacific NW and Bay Area for CenterCal. “We look forward to welcoming guests from the neighborhood and greater community to this exciting new chapter in Bay Street’s story.”
While on-site, participants can support local businesses including Arts Africains, BOSK by Oaklandish, Foreign Family, Fresh & Fitted, Spoiled Boutique, Tri Lu’s, iPhone Repair Squad, Cornology and Dipped Bay Area. Speer Family Farms Wonderland Trees will be back this year as well, having relocated to the Plaza near AMC. These local retailers are perfect spots for holiday shopping while taking in the new and exciting changes already happening to the property, including fresh, new Holiday décor.
With the opening of The South Bayfront Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge, people will enjoy a pedestrian-bicycle bridge that connects to the Emeryville Greenway on the east side and provides a path across the railroad tracks connecting to the Bay Trail to the west. The bridge will also provide convenient access from central Emeryville to the center of Bay Street. On the west side, it will connect to Ohlone Way and the future re-imagined dining terrace that is currently under construction. On the east side, it connects to the future Horton Landing Park.
The South Bayfront Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge’s signature feature, the arch span, is comprised of materials and components fabricated in multiple countries and states. The cables were fabricated in Switzerland and the cable sockets were fabricated in Houston, Texas. The cables were fully assembled in Montreal, Canada. Bridge fabrication was performed in Arizona and initial assembly completed there at the end of October.