The Huntsville City Council in Alabama is planning a new skybridge after formally accepting a $20 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) construction grant that was won in 2022.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be leveraged along with local funds and smaller grants to complete the estimated $50 million to $55 million Pedestrian Access and Redevelopment Corridor (PARC) project.
The Oct. 9 grant acceptance marked the last step before bids and construction can advance the city’s plan to reduce flooding, improve pedestrian and cyclist connectivity, expand public park space and spur economic development in the city’s core.
The PARC project is highlighted by the 1,400-foot pedestrian Skybridge that links Memorial Parkway and Governors Drive to the $400 million Mill Creek development. Other elements of the plan draw comparisons to Rosales’ similar work on the Atlanta Beltline and Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail.
PARC will connect the two universities, UAH and Alabama A&M University, with downtown and other parks. Along with the skybridge, there will be three other pedestrian bridges and a concrete railroad bridge. The plan includes 1.2 miles of linear park space and 6,000 feet of greenway. To address flooding that has plagued the area for two decades, the city will complete 5,600 feet of Pinhook Creek channel excavation and 3,200 feet of low-flow channel.
With early design and permitting complete, the city expects to release bid packages in about 60 days. The Pinhook Creek channel improvements are expected to start by the end of 2025. The Skybridge and other structures will follow in later phases. All three project phases are planned to finish within 24 to 36 months, meaning completion by late 2028.
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