Charlotte takes big step forward on I-277 Rail Trail pedestrian bridge. What’s next
The long-awaited pedestrian and bicycle bridge spanning Interstate 277 just took another leap forward. A monetary leap.
Charlotte City Council approved over $3 million dollars in grant and donation funding Monday for the Rail Trail Bridge Project, which will connect users from uptown to South End through the Charlotte Rail Trail.
A majority of this round of funding is coming from the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, which coordinates plans for state and federal road projects in Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties.
CRTPO is providing over $2.5 million toward the project.
And Queen’s Table is donating over $511,500 to bridge. The Queen’s Table is a nonprofit of anonymous donors run through the Foundation of the Carolinas. The group has help funded the Queen Charlotte sculpture at Charlotte Douglas Airport and the lighting fixtures at the Carolina Theatre.
With the funding, the I-277 project continues to move forward after almost two decades of discussion.
About the Charlotte Rail Trail Bridge project
When the Blue Line was in its formative phase in the late 2000s, the plan was to create a bridge from Brooklyn Village to East Morehead Street. But the project was cut by the city because of budget constraints.
So for about 18 years, pedestrians and bicyclists vibing on the footpath alongside the Blue Line would come to an abrupt stop near the I-277 overpass.
To continue into uptown, users have to leave the Rail Trail onto a narrow path on Morehead Street, then walk along a shared roadway bridge, hoping the I-277 traffic stays in its lane.
In 2019, the city began working on the bridge again, estimating an $11 million cost and completion by 2023.
That cost has risen to about $16.4 million and the completion date has been pushed back to mid-2028.
The 280-foot bridge will include a 16-foot-wide concrete path for bicycles and pedestrians. There will also be multiple structural arches, cables and aesthetic lighting.
Last January, Charlotte City Council chose Blythe Construction, a Charlotte-based firm, to build the bridge.
And in October, city leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of the project.
