A major pedestrian bridge project spanning over Parker Road in Aurora is breaking ground on Tuesday.
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The $9.3 million bridge will span across Parker Road near I-225, connecting the Nine Mile RTD station with homes and businesses on the north side of the street.
The city said it will give people a safer, more direct way to cross Parker Road.
“It will provide improved multi-modal connectivity, enable people to cross safely over Parker Road and improve traffic flow along this major metro-area corridor and benefit residents, business owners and shoppers in this redeveloping portion of Aurora,” the city told Denver7.
Right now, people walking or biking have to go farther to reach a signalized crossing, and the city said pedestrians are regularly seen crossing Parker Road at a non-designated crossing and hopping the center median.
This project has been in the works since 2012, but rising construction costs put it on hold in 2022.
“Since that time, the city has worked to modify the project design and scope to meet the current budget,” the city said.
With construction getting underway Tuesday, drivers shouldn’t see any major impacts just yet.
The first phase is mainly underground utility work, with single lane closures on weekdays through November of about 10 minutes or less outside of peak travel times.
“Between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on southbound Parker Road and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on northbound Parker Road during weekdays,” the city said.
More robust, above-ground operations will not begin until the spring.
“Crews will only be on-site until November, returning in March to begin working on the pedestrian ramps that will eventually lead to the bridge structure,” the city said.
The city told Denver7 the pedestrian bridge is being built at an off-site facility. There will be one or two full weekend closures on both sides of Parker Road around late summer to allow the bridge to be put in place.
“There will be plenty of advanced notice and outreach done when this gets scheduled to make sure travelers are informed and can access the businesses and residences in the area,” the city said.
Denver7 asked the city if the new bridge will help address the minor traffic holdups that occur at Parker Road and Peoria, since it is a larger intersection and therefore more time is allotted to pedestrians to cross.
“Traffic signals in this area will continue to provide pedestrians with ample time to safely cross roadways even if the expectation is many pedestrians will use the bridge once complete,” the city said.
The city is aiming to finish the entire project by fall of 2027.
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