TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum on Friday announced that the new pedestrian bridge under construction over the Arkansas river has been named “Williams Crossing.”
The new name was unveiled at a press conference along the banks of the Arkansas River.
Williams, a Tulsa based energy company, donated $3 million to the bridge project that’s currently under construction.
The company also has historical ties to the original Midland Valley Railroad Bridge according to Williams’ CEO Alan Armstrong:
“One of their first big projects was in redoing some of the bridge that interconnected here to the original railroad bridge,” he said, “and the walkways that went on so Williams had a lot to do with the old original bridge that was built here.”
There is actually $7.2 million in private funding for the bridge project, which includes donations from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, HF Sinclair, and ONEOK.
Mayor Bynum also took time on Friday to thank the residents of Tulsa for helping fund the bridge project, with a good portion of the city’s $27 and a half million dollar contribution coming from the Vision Tulsa sales tax.
“This is a bridge that was intentionally selected,” said Bynum, “because it is an outgrowth of the greatest park in any city in America, the Gathering Place, out over the new lake that the citizens of Tulsa are building.”
The new bridge will stretch more than 1,440 feet long, and be supported by eleven 120-foot long arch spans.
When complete, it will be the longest arch-type pedestrian bridge in the United States and the first multi-span, plate arch bridge built in the U.S.
When the new pedestrian bridge is complete next summer, it will connect the Gathering Place to the west side of the Arkansas River where there are additional trails.
“Anytime you can increase the amount of the ability of people to flow through the city its better,” said Jeff Stava, Executive Director of Tulsa’s Gathering Place, L.L.C., “it connects with River Parks trails, the Midland Valley Trail, and Turkey Mountain and makes everything along the river very connected.”
Walkers we spoke with along the River Parks Trail on Friday, like Jesse Hopper, said he and his wife are looking forward to trying out the new bridge:
“It was just an old bridge,” he said, commenting on the loss of the Midland Valley Railroad Bridge, “it was just fun to go with the family every now and then go and check it out, we were kind of sad to see it go away but if they’re putting up something else, I’d be happy to walk that too.”
In addition to the bridge project, work is underway on a low water dam and a lake that will allow visitors to the Gathering Place to access the waterfront.
“The new lake is going to be three feet higher than deeper than the previous lake,” said Jeff Stava, Executive Director of Tulsa’s Gather Place, L.L.C., “the new dam is being built right now and it has new gates, it’s a much safer low water dam than we previously had.”
Stava said when they finish the five and a quarter acre bump out and all the trails, there will be trails that come right down to the water’s edge, giving people access to the river.
The bridge project is about 50 percent complete in terms in construction. All three projects should be complete by next summer.
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